orner 


GIFT   OF 


LEADING   FACTS   OF  HISTORY   SERIES. 

BY  D.  H.  MONTGOMERY. 


BEGINNER'S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

With    numerous    Maps    and    Illustrations.      For    introduction,    60 
cents. 

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Copyright  by  Charles  T.  Root 

LIBERTY  ENLIGHTENING  THE  WORLD 

A  Statue  in  the  Harbor  of  New  York  City,  given  to  the  American  People  by  the 
People  of  France 


THE 


BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY 


BY 

D.   H.  MONTGOMERY 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  LEADING  FACTS  OF  HISTORY  SERIES 


BOSTON,  U.S.A. 
GINN    &   COMPANY,    PUBLISHERS 


<899 


/> 


1 7* 


COPYRIGHT,  1892 
BY  D.  H.  MONTGOMERY 


COPYRIGHT,  1899 
BY  D.  H.  MONTGOMERY 


ALL    RIGHTS    RESERVED 


D.   H.    M. 

TO 

S.   K.   K. 


PREFATORY   NOTE. 


THIS  little  book  is  intended  by  the  writer  as  an  introduction  to 
his  larger  work  entitled  The  Leading  Facts  of  American  History. 

It  is  in  no  sense  an  abridgment  of  the  larger  history,  but  is 
practically  an  entirely  new  and  distinct  work. 

Its  object  is  to  present  clearly  and  accurately  those  facts  and 
principles  in  the  lives  of  some  of  the  chief  founders  and  builders 
of  America  which  would  be  of  interest  and  value  to  pupils  begin 
ning  the  study  of  our  history.  Throughout  the  book  great  care 
has  been  taken  to  relate  only  such  incidents  and  anecdotes  as 
are  believed  to  rest  on  unexceptionable  authority. 

The  words  quoted  literally  in  this  book  are  enclosed  in 
double  quotation  marks  ;  those  quoted  in  substance  only  are 
enclosed  in  single  marks ;  while  those  attributed  by  the  writer 
to  different  speakers  have  no  marks. 

The  numerous  illustrations  in  the  text  are,  in  nearly  every  case, 
from  drawings  and  designs  made  by  Miss  C.  S.  King  of  Boston. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  work  for  the  press  —  as  in  that  of 
the  entire  Leading  Facts  of  History  Series  —  the  author  has  been 
especially  indebted  to  the  valuable  assistance  rendered  in  proof 
reading  by  Mr.  George  W.  Gushing  of  Boston. 

DAVID    H.    MONTGOMERY, 

CAMBRIDGE,  MASS. 
vii 

445480 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

I 

13 
17 

20 

23 
32 


I.    COLUMBUS 

II.   JOHN  AND  SEBASTIAN  CABOT 

III.  BALBOA,  PONCE  DE  LEON,  AND  DE  SOTO  .     . 

IV.  SIR  WALTER  RALEIGH 

V.    CAPTAIN  JOHN  SMITH 

VI.    CAPTAIN  HENRY  HUDSON 

VII.    CAPTAIN  MYLES  STANDISH 39 

VIII.    LORD  BALTIMORE 50 

IX.    ROGER  WILLIAMS 55 

X.    KING  PHILIP 60 

XI.    WILLIAM  PENN «.  68 

XII.    GENERAL  JAMES  OGLETHORPE 74 

XIII.  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 80 

XIV.  GEORGE  WASHINGTON 91 

XV.    DANIEL  BOONE     . 116 

XVI.    GENERAL  JAMES  ROBERTSON 122 

XVII.    GOVERNOR  JOHN  SEVIER 122 

XVIII.    GENERAL  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 126 

XIX.    GENERAL  RUFUS  PUTNAM 132 

XX.    ELI  WHITNEY 137 

XXI.    THOMAS  JEFFERSON 142 

XXII.    ROBERT  FULTON 150 

XXI II.  GENERAL  WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON  ....  157 

XXIV.  GENERAL  ANDREW  JACKSON 163 

XXV.    PROFESSOR  SAMUEL  F.  B.  MORSE 175 

XXVI.    GENERAL  SAM  HOUSTON 182 

XXVI I.    CAPTAIN  ROBERT  GRAY 186 

XXVIII.    CAPTAIN  J.  A.  SUTTER       189 

XXIX.    ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 197 

XXX.    OUR  HUNDRED  DAYS'  WAR  WITH  SPAIN  .  220 


A  SHORT  LIST  OF  BOOKS. 
INDEX. 


CONTENTS. 


LIST    OF    LARGE    MAPS. 

PAGE 

I.     Map  Illustrating  the  Early  Life  of  Washington    ....  94 

II.     Map  of  the  Revolution  (northern  states) 104 

III.  Map  of  the  Revolution  (southern  states) no 

IV.  The  United  States  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution     ...  147 
V.     The  United  States  after  the  Purchase  of  Louisiana  (1803)  148 

VI.     The  United  States  after  the  Purchase  of  Florida  (1819)   .  173 

VII.     The  United  States  after  the  Acquisition  of  Texas  (1845)  •  l85 

VIII.     The  United  States  after  the  Acquisition  of  Oregon  (1846)  188 
IX.     The  United  States  after  the  Acquisition  of  California  and 

New  Mexico  (1848) 193 

X.     The  United  States  after  the  Gadsden  Purchase  (1853)      .  195 
XI.     The  United  States  after  the  Purchase  of  Alaska  (1867) 
See  Map  of  North  America  (giving  a  summary  of  the 

„    territorial  growth  of  the  United  States) 196 

XII.     Map  of  the  World  showing  all  the  Possessions  of  the 

United  States 222 

NOTE.  —  In  these  maps  it  has  been  thought  best  to  give  the  boundaries  of  the  thirteen 
original  states  as  they  now  exist;  and  to  show  the  outlines  of  other  states  before  they  were 
organized  and  admitted. 


LIST   OF    FULL-PAGE    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

I.  The  Statue  of  Liberty Frontispiece. 

II.  An  Indian  Attack  on  a  Settlement 66 

III.  Paul  Revered  Ride 102 

IV.  Battle  of  New  Orleans 171 

V.  Niagara  Suspension  Bridge 174 

VI.  Mount  Hood,  Oregon 186 

VII.  Mirror  Lake,  California 192 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN   HISTORY. 


CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS 

(1436-1506). » 

*1.  Birth  and  boyhood  of  Columbus.  —  Christopher  Colum 
bus,2  the  discoverer  of  America,  was  born  at  Genoa,3  a  sea 
port  of    Italy,   more  than   four   hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago.     His  father  was    a 
wool-comber.4     Christopher  did  not  care 
to  learn  that  trade,  but  wanted  to  become 
a  sailor.     Seeing  the  boy's  strong 


*  The  paragraph  headings,  in  heavy  type,  will 
be  found  useful  for  topical  reference,  and,  if  de 
sired,  as  questions  ;  by  simply  omitting  these  head 
ings,  the  book  may  be  used  as  a  reader. 

Teachers  who  wish  a  regular  set  of  questions 
on  each  section  will  find  them  at  the  end  of  the 
section;  see  page  13.  Difficult  word's  are  de 
fined  or  pronounced  at  the  bottom  of  the  page 
where  they  first  occur ;  reference  to  them  will 
be  found  in  the  index. 

These  enclosed  dates  under  a  name  show,  except 
when  otherwise  stated,  the  year  of  birth  and  death. 
2  Christopher  Columbus  (Kris'tof-er  Ko-lum'bus). 
8  Genoa  (Jen'o-ah)  ;  see  map  on  page  13. 
4  Wool-comber :  before  wool  can  be  spun  into  thread 
COLUMBUS  AS  A  BOY.  and  woven  into  cloth  the  tangled  locks  must 

(From  the  statue  in  the  Museum  of       be  combed  out  straight  and  smooth  ;  once  this 
Fine  Arts,  Boston.)  was  all  done  by  hand. 


THE    BEG1MN2R  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


liking  for  the  sea,  his  lather  sent  him  to  a  school  where  he 
could  learn  geography,  map-drawing,  and  whatever  else 
might  help  him  to  become  some  day  commander  of  a  vessel. 

2.  Columbus  becomes  a  sailor.  —  When  he  was  fourteen 
Columbus  went  to  sea.     In  those  days  the  Mediterranean1 
Sea  swarmed  with  war-ships  and  pirates.     Every  sailor, 
no  matter  if  he  was  but  a  boy,  had  to  stand  ready  to  fight 
his  way  from  port  to  port. 

In  this  exciting  life,  full  of  adventure  and  of  danger, 
Columbus  grew  to  manhood.  The  rough  experiences  he 
then  had  did  much  toward  making  him  the  brave,  deter 
mined  captain  and  explorer2  that  he  afterwards  became. 

3.  Columbus  has  a  sea-fight ;  he  goes  to  Lisbon.  —  Accord 
ing   to  some  accounts,  Columbus  once    had    a   desperate 
battle   with   a   vessel   off    the   coast   of    Portugal.      The 

fight  lasted,  it  is  said, 
all  day.  At  length 
both  vessels  were 
found  to  be  on  fire. 
Columbus  jumped 
from  his  blazing  ship 
into  the  sea,  and 
catching  hold  of  a 
floating  oar,  man 
aged,  with  its  help,  to 
swim  to  the  shore, 
about  six  miles  away. 
He  then  went  to 
the  port  of  Lisbon.3 
There  he  married  the 
For  a  long  time  after 


The  light  parts  of  this  map  show  how  much  of  the 
world  was  then  well-known;  the  white  crosses  show 
those  countries  of  Eastern  Asia  of  which  something 
was  known. 


daughter  of  a  famous  sea-captain. 


1  Mediterranean  (Med'i-ter-ra'ne-an).       8  Lisbon  :  see  map  on  page  13. 

2  Explorer :  one  who  explores  or  discovers  new  countries. 


CHRISTOPHER     COLUMBUS.  3 

his  marriage  Columbus  earned  his  living  partly  by  draw 
ing  maps,  which  he  sold  to  commanders  of  vessels  vis 
iting  Lisbon,  and  partly  by  making  voyages  to  Africa, 
Iceland,  and  other  countries. 

4.  What  men  then  knew  about  the  world.  —  The  maps 
which  Columbus  made  and  sold  were  very  different  from 
those  we  now  have.  At  that  time  not  half  of  the  world 
had  been  discovered.1  Europe,  Asia,  and  a  small  part 
of  Africa  were  the  chief  countries  known.  The  maps  of 
Columbus  may  have  shown  the  earth  shaped  like  a  ball, 
but  he  supposed  it  to  be  much  smaller  than  it  really  is. 
No  one  then  had  sailed  round  the  globe.  No  one  then 
knew  what  lands  lay  west  of  the  broad  Atlantic ;  for  this 
reason  we  should  look  in  vain,  on  one  of  the  maps  drawn 
by  Columbus,  for  the  great  continents  of  North  and  South 
America  or  for  Australia  or  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


7- 

H  0  I 


This  map  shows  how  Columbus  (not  knowing  that  America  lay  in  the  way)  hoped  to 
reach  Asia  and  the  East  Indies  by  sailing  west. 

5.  The  plan  of  Columbus  for  reaching  the  Indies  by  sailing 
west.  —  While  living  in  Lisbon,  Columbus  made  up  his  mind 
to  try  to  do  what  no  other  man,  at  that  time,  dared  attempt, 

1  See  map  on  page  2. 


4  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

—  that  was  to  cross  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  He  thought  that 
by  doing  so  he  could  get  directly  to  Asia  and  the  Indies, 
which,  he  believed,  were  opposite  Portugal  and  Spain.  If 
successful,  he  could  open  up  a  very  profitable  trade  with 
the  rich  countries  of  the  East,  from  which  spices,  drugs, 
and  silk  were  brought  to  Europe.  The  people  of  Europe 
could  not  reach  those  countries  directly  by  ships,  because 
they  had  not  then  found  their  way  round  the  southern 
point  of  Africa. 

6.  Columbus  tries  to  get  help  in  carrying  out  his  plans. — 
Columbus  was  too  poor  to  fit  out  even  a  single  ship  to 
undertake  such  a  voyage  as  he  had  planned.  He  asked 
the  king  of  Portugal  to  furnish  some  money  or  vessels 
toward  it,  but  he  received  no  encouragement.  At  length 
he  determined  to  go  to  Spain  and  see  if  he  could  get 
help  there. 

On  the  southern  coast  of  Spain  there  is  a  small  port 
named  Palos.1  Within  sight  of  the  village  of  Palos,  and  also 
within  plain  sight  of  the  ocean,  there  was  a  convent,2  — 
which  is  still  standing,  —  called  the  Convent  of  Saint  Mary. 

One  morning  a  tall,  fine-looking  man,  leading  a  little 
boy  by  the  hand,  knocked  at  the  door  of  this  convent  and 
begged  for  a  piece  of  bread  and  a  cup  of  water  for  the 
child.  The  man  was  Columbus,  —  whose  wife  was  now 
dead,  —  and  the  boy  was  his  son. 

It  chanced  that  the  guardian  of  the  convent  noticed  Co 
lumbus  standing  at  the  door.  He  liked  his  appearance, 
and  coming  up,  began  to  talk  with  him.  Columbus  frankly 
told  him  what  he  was  trying  to  do.  The  guardian  of  the 
convent  listened  with  great  interest;  then  he  gave  him  a 

1  Palos  (Pa'los)  ;  see  map  on  page  8. 

2  Convent :  a  house  in  which  a  number  of  people  live  who  devote  themselves  to 
religious  life. 


CHRISTOPHER     COLUMBUS.  5 

letter  to  a  friend  who  he  thought  would  help  him  to  lay  his 
plans  before  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,1  the  king  and  queen 
of  Spain. 

7.  Columbus  gets  help  for  his  great  voyage.  —  Columbus 
left  his  son  at  the  convent,  and  set  forward  on  his  journey 
full  of  bright  hopes.     But  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  could 
not  then  see  him ;  and  after  waiting  a  long  time,  the  trav 
eller  was  told  that  he  might  go  before  a  number  of  learned 
men  and  tell  them  about  his  proposed  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic. 

After  hearing  what  Columbus  had  to  say,  these  men 
thought  that  it  would  be  foolish  to  spend  money  in  trying 
to  reach  the  other  side  of  the  ocean. 

People  who  heard  what  this  captain  from  Lisbon  wanted 
to  do  began  to  think  that  he  had  lost  his  reason,  and  the 
boys  in  the  streets  laughed  at  him  and  called  him  crazy. 
Columbus  waited  for  help  seven  years ;  he  then  made  up 
his  mind  that  he  would  wait  no  longer.  Just  as  he  was 
about  leaving  Spain,  Queen  Isabella,  who  had  always  felt 
interested  in  the  brave  sailor,  resolved  to  aid  him.  Two 
rich  sea-captains  who  lived  in  Palos  also  decided  to  take 
part  in  the  voyage.  With  the  assistance  which  Columbus 
now  got  he  was  able  to  fit  out  three  small  vessels.  He 
went  in  the  largest  of  the  vessels — the  only  one  which  had 
an  entire  deck — as  admiral2  or  commander  of  the  fleet. 

8.  Columbus  sails.  —  Early  on   Friday  morning,  August 
3d,  1492,  Columbus  started  from  Palos  to  attempt  to  cross 
that  ocean  which  men  then  called  the  "  Sea  of  Darkness," 
—  a  name  which  showed  how  little  they  knew  of  it,  and 
how  much  they  dreaded  it. 

We  may  be  pretty  sure  that  the  guardian  of  the  convent 
was  one  of  those  who  watched  the  sailing  of  the  little  fleet. 

1  Isabella  (iz-ah-bel'ah).  a  Admiral  (ad'mi-ral). 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


From  the  upper  windows  of  the  convent  he  could  plainly 
see  the  vessels  as  they  left  the  harbor  of  Palos. 

9.  What  happened  on  the  first  part  of  the  voyage.  —  Co 
lumbus  sailed  first 
for  the  Canary 
Islands,  because 
from  there  it 
would  be  a 
straight  line,  as 
he  thought, 
across  to  Japan 
and  Asia.  He 
was  obliged  to 
stop  at  the  Ca 
naries1  from  Au- 


COLUMBUS    LEAVING    PALOS,    AUGUST    30,    I4Q2. 


gust  1 2th  to  Sep 
tember  6th,  or 

more  than  three  weeks,  in  order  to  make  a  new  rudder  for 
one  of  his  vessels  and  to  alter  the  sails  of  another. 

At  length  all  was  ready,  and  he  again  set  out  on  his 
voyage  toward  the  west.  When  the  sailors  got  so  far  out  on 
the  ocean  that  they  could  no  longer  see  any  of  the  islands, 
they  were  overcome  with  fear.  They  made  up  their  minds 
that  they  should  never  be  able  to  get  back  to  Palos  again. 
They  were  rough  men,  used  to  the  sea,  but  now  they 
bowed  down  their  heads  and  cried  like  children.  Colum 
bus  had  hard  work  to  quiet  their  fears  and  to  encourage 
them  to  go  forward  with  the  voyage  which  they  already 
wanted  to  give  up. 

10.  What  happened  after  they  had  been  at  sea  many  days. 
—  For  mere  than  thirty  days  the  three  ships  kept  on  their 
way  toward  the  west.  To  the  crew  every  day  seemed  a 

1  Canaries  (Ka-na'rez)  ;  see  map  on  page  8. 


CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS.  7 

year.  From  sunrise  to  sunset  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but 
water  and  sky.  At  last  the  men  began  to  think  that  they 
were  sailing  on  an  ocean  which  had  no  end.  They  whis 
pered  among  themselves  that  Columbus  had  gone  mad,  and 
that  if  they  kept  on  with  him  in  command  they  should  all 
be  lost. 

Twice,  indeed,  there  was  a  joyful  cry  of  Land !  Land ! 
but  when  they  got  nearer  they  saw  that  what  they  had 
thought  was  land  was  nothing  but  banks  of  clouds.  Then 
some  of  the  sailors  said,  Let  us  go  to  the  admiral  and  tell 
him  that  we  must  turn  back.  What  if  he  will  not  listen  to 
us  ?  asked  others ;  Then  we  will  throw  him  overboard  and 
say  when  we  reach  Palos  that  he  fell  into  the  sea  and  was 
drowned. 

But  when  the  crew  went  to  Columbus  and  told  him  that 
they  would  go  no  further,  he  sternly  ordered  them  to  their 
work,  declaring  that  whatever  might  happen,  he  would  not 
now  give  up  the  voyage. 

11.  Signs  of  land.  —  The  very  next  day  such  certain  signs 
of  land  were  seen  that  the  most  faint-hearted  took  courage. 
The  men  had  already  noticed  great  flocks  of  land-birds  fly 
ing  toward  the  west,  as  if  to  guide  them.  Now  some  of  the 
men  on  one  vessel  saw  a  branch  of  a  thorn-bush  float  by. 
It  was  plain  that  it  had  not  long  been  broken  off  from  the 
bush,  and  it  was  full  of  red  berries. 

But  one  of  the  crew  on  the  other  vessel  found  something 
better  even  than  the  thorn-branch ;  for  he  drew  out  of  the 
water  a  carved  walking-stick.  Every  one  saw  that  such  a 
stick  must  have  been  cut  and  carved  by  human  hands. 
These  two  signs  could  not  be  doubted.  The  men  now  felt 
sure  that  they  were  approaching  the  shore,  and  what 
was  more,  that  there  were  people  living  in  that  strange 
country. 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


12.  Discovery  of  land.  —  That  evening  Columbus  begged 
his  crew  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  and  he  promised  a  velvet 
coat  to  the  one  who  should  first  see  land.  All  was  now 
excitement,  and  no  man  closed  his  eyes  in  sleep  that  night. 

Columbus  himself  stood  on  a  high  part  of  his  ship,  look 
ing  steadily  toward  the  west.  About  ten  o'clock  he  saw  a 
moving  light;  it  seemed  like  a  torch  carried  in  a  man's 
hand.  He  called  to  a  companion  and  asked  him  if  he 
could  see  anything  of  the  kind ;  yes,  he,  too,  plainly  saw  the 
moving  light,  but  presently  it  disappeared. 

Two  hours  after  midnight  a  cannon  was  fired  from  the 
foremost  vessel.  It  was  the  glad  signal  that  the  long- 
looked-for  land  was  actually  in  sight.  There  it  lay  di 
rectly  ahead,  about  six  miles  away. 


Map  showing  the  direction  in  which  Columbus  sailed  on  his  great  voyage  across  the  ocean. 

Then  Columbus  gave  the  order  to  furl  sails,  and  the 
three  vessels  came  to  a  stop  and  waited  for  the  dawn. 
When  the  sun  rose  on  Friday,  October  I2th,  1492,  Co 
lumbus  saw  a  beautiful  island  with  many  trees  growing 
on  it.  That  was  his  first  sight  of  the  New  World.  • 

13.  Columbus  lands  on  the  island  and  names  it;  who  lived 
on  the  island.  —  Attended  by  the  captains  of  the  other  two 
vessels,  and  by  their  crews,  Columbus  set  out  in  a  boat  for 
the  island.  When  they  landed,  all  fell  on  their  knees, 


CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS.  9 

kissed  the  ground  for  joy,  and  gave  thanks  to  God.  Colum 
bus  named  the  island  San  Salvador1  and  took  possession  of 
it,  by  right  of  discovery,  for  the  king  and  queen  of  Spain. 
He  found  that  it  was  inhabited  by  a  copper-colored 
people  who  spoke  a  language  he  could  not  understand. 
These  people  had  never 
seen  a  ship  or  a  white 

t_  r         -T-i  %^orv^     fHL      ------ -^ 

man  before.  They  wore 
no  clothing,  but  painted 
their  bodies  with  bright 
colors.  The  Spaniards  - 
made  them  presents  of 
strings  of  glass  beads  and  ^ 

red  caps.     In  return  they 

, ,        /-.  -,        ,  LANDING  OF  COLUMBUS. 

gave  the  Spaniards  skeins 

of  cotton  yarn,  tame  parrots,  and  small  ornaments  of  gold. 
After  staying  here  a  short  time  Columbus  set  sail  toward 
the  south,  in  search  of  more  land  and  in  the  hope  of  find 
ing  out  where  these  people  got  their  gold. 

14.  Columbus  names  the  group  of  islands  and  their  people.  — 
As  Columbus  sailed  on,  he  saw  many  islands  in  every  direc 
tion.     He  thought  that  they  must  be  a  part  of  the  Indies 
which  he  was  seeking.     Since  he  had  reached  them  by 
coming  west  from  Spain,  he  called  them  the  West  Indies, 
and  to  the  red  men  who  lived  on  them  he  gave  the  name 
of  Indians. 

15.  Columbus  discovers  two  very  large  islands ;  his  vessel  is 
wrecked,  and  he  returns  to  Spain  in  another.  —  In  the  course 
of  the  next  six  weeks  Columbus  discovered  the  island  of 
Cuba.      At  first  he  thought  that  it  must  be  Japan,  but 
afterward  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  not  an 
island  at  all,  but  part  of  the  mainland  of  Asia. 

1  San  Salvador  (San  Sal-va-dor')  ;  meaning  the  Holy  Redeemer  or  Saviour. 


10 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Next,  he  came  to  the  island  of  Hayti,1  or  San  Domingo.2 
Here  his  ship  was  wrecked.  He  took  the  timber  of  the 
wreck  and  built  a  fort  on  the  shore.  Leaving  about  forty 
of  his  crew  in  this  fort,  Columbus  set  sail  for  Palos  in  one 
of  the  two  remaining  vessels. 

16.  Columbus  arrives  at  Palos;  joy  of  the  people;  how 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella  received  him.  —  When  the  vessel  of 
Columbus  was  seen  entering  the  harbor  of  Palos,  the  whole 
village  was  wild  with  excitement.  More  than  seven  months 
had  gone  by  since  he  sailed  away  from  that  port,  and  as 
nothing  had  been  heard  from  him,  many  supposed  that 
the  vessels  and  all  on  board  were  lost.  Now  that  they 
saw  their  friends  and  neighbors  coming  back,  all  was  joy. 
The  bells  of  the  churches  rang  a  merry  peal  of  welcome ; 
the  people  thronged  the  streets,  shouting  to  each  other  that 
Columbus,  the  great  navigator,  had  crossed  the  "  Sea  of 
Darkness  "  and  had  returned  in  safety. 

The  king  and  queen  were  then  in  the  city  of  Barcelona,3 

a  long  distance  from 
Palos.  To  that  city  Co 
lumbus  now  went.  He 
entered  it  on  horseback, 
attended  by  the  proud 
est  and  richest  noble 
men  of  Spain.  He 
brought  with  him  six 
Indians  from  the  West 
Indies.  They  were  gaily 
painted  and  wore  bright 
feathers  in  their  hair. 
Then  a  number  of  men  followed,  carrying  rare  birds  and 

1  Hayti  (Ha'ti).          2  San  Domingo  (San  Do-min'go)  ;  see  map  on  page  n. 
8  Barcelona  (Bar-se-16'na)  ;  see  map  on  page  8. 


COLUMBUS  RECEIVED  BY  THE  KING  AND  QUEEN 
OF  SPAIN. 


CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS.  II 

plants,  with  gold  and  silver  ornaments,  all  found  in  the  New 
World.  These  were  presents  for  the  king  and  queen. 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella  received  Columbus  with  great 
honor.  When  he  had  told  them  the  story  of  his  wonder 
ful  voyage,  they  sank  on  their  knees  and  gave  praise  to 
God :  all  who  were  present  followed  their  example. 

17.  The  last  voyages  of  Columbus.  —  Columbus  made  three 
more  voyages  across  the  Atlantic.  He  discovered  more 
islands  near  the  coast  of  America,  and  he  touched  the 
coast  of  Central  America  and  of  South  America,  but  that 
was  all.  He  never  set  foot  on  any  part  of  what  is  now 


The  light  parts  of  this  map  show  how  much  of  America  Columbus  discovered. 
(The  long  island  is  Cuba;  the  large  one  to  the  right  is  San  Domingo.) 

the  United  States,  and  he  always  thought  that  the  land 
he  had  reached  was  part  of  Asia.  He  had  found  a  new 
world,  but  he  did  not  know  it:  all  that  he  knew  was  how 
to  get  to  it  and  how  to  show  others  the  way. 

18.  Columbus  in  his  old  age.  —  The  last  days  of  this  great 
man  were  very  sorrowful.  The  king  was  disappointed 
because  he  brought  back  no  gold  to  amount  to  anything. 
The  Spanish  governor  of  San  Domingo  hated  Columbus, 
and  when  he  landed  at  that  island  on  one  of  his  voyages, 
he  arrested  him  and  sent  him  back  to  Spain  in  chains. 


12 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


He  was  at  once  set  at  liberty ;  but  he  could  not  forget  the 
insult.  He  kept  the  chains  hanging  on  the  wall  of  his 
room,  and  asked  to  have  them  buried  with  him. 

Columbus  was  now  an  old  man ;  his  health  was  broken, 
he  was  poor,  in  debt,  and  without  a  home.  Once  he  wrote 
to  the  king  and  queen,  saying,  "  I  have  not  a  hair  upon  me 
that  is  not  gray,  my  body  is  weak,  and  all  that  was  left  to 
me  .  .  .  has  been  taken  away  and  sold,  even  to  the  coat 
which  I  wore." 

Not  long  after  he  had  come  back  to  Spain  to  stay,  the 
queen  died.  Then  Columbus  felt  that  he  had  lost  his  best 
friend.  He  gave  up  hope,  and  said,  "  I  have  done  all  that 
I  could  do :  I  leave  the  rest  to  God." 

19.  His  death  and  burial.  —  Columbus  died  full  of  disap 
pointment  and  sorrow  —  perhaps  it  would  not  be  too  much 
to  say  that  he  died  of  a  broken  heart. 

He  was  at  first  buried  in  Spain  ;  then 
his  body  was  taken  up  and  carried  to 
San  Domingo,  where  he  had  wished  to 
be  buried.  Whether  it  rests  there  to-day, 
or  whether  it  was  carried  to  Havana1  and 
deposited  in  the  cathedral  or  great  church 
of  that  city,  no  one  can  positively  say.  But 
wherever  the  grave  of  the  great  sailor  may 

MONUMENT  TO  COLUM-    , 

BUS.  be,  his  memory  will  live  in  every  heart  ca- 

(in  the  Cathedral  of   pable  of  respecting  a  brave  man ;  for  he 

Havana,   Cuba.) 

first  dared  to  cross  the  "  Sea  of  Darkness, 
and    he    discovered    America. 

20.  Summary. —  In   1492  Christopher  Columbus  set  sail 
from  Spain  to  find  a  direct  way  across  the  Atlantic  to 
Asia  and  the   Indies.      He  did  not  get  to  Asia ;  but  he 
did  better;    he  discovered  America.      He   died   thinking 


1  Havana  (Ha-van'ah)  :  a  city  of  Cuba. 


JOHN    CABOT.  13 

that  the  new  lands  he  had  found  were  part  of  Asia ;  but 
by  his  daring  voyage  he  first  showed  the  people  of 
Europe  how  to  get  to  the  New  World. 

When  and  where  was  Columbus  born  ?  What  did  he  do  when  he  was  fourteen  ? 
What  about  his  sea-fight  ?  What  did  he  do  in  Lisbon  ?  How  much  of  the  world 
was  then  known  ?  How  did  Columbus  think  he  could  reach  Asia  and  the  Indies  ? 
Why  did  he  want  to  go  there  ?  What  did  he  try  to  do  in  Portugal  ?  Why  did  he 
go  to  Spain  ?  Where  did  he  first  go  in  Spain  ?  How  did  Columbus  get  help 
at  last  ?  When  did  he  sail  ?  What  happened  on  the  first  part  of  the  voyage  ? 
What  happened  after  that  ?  What  is  said  about  signs  of  land  ?  What  about  the 
discovery  of  land  ?  What  did  Columbus  name  the  island  ?  What  did  he  find  on 
it  ?  What  is  said  of  other  islands  ?  What  is  said  of  the  return  of  Columbus  to 
Spain  ?  What  about  the  last  voyages  of  Columbus  ?  Did  he  ever  land  on  any  part 
of  what  is  now  the  United  States  ?  What  about  his  old  age  ?  What  is  said  of  his 
death  and  burial  ? 


JOHN    CABOT1 

(Lived  in  England  from  1472-1498). 

21.  John  Cabot  discovers  the  continent  of  North  America. 

—  At  the  time  that  Columbus  set  out  on  his  first  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic  in  1492,  John  Cabot,  an  Italian  mer 
chant,  was  living  in  the  city  of  Bristol,2  England.  When 
the  news  reached  that  city 
that  Columbus  had  dis 
covered  the  West  Indies, 
Cabot  begged  Henry  the 
Seventh,  king  of  Eng 
land,  to  let  him .  see  if  he 
could  not  find  a  shorter 
way  to  the  Indies  than  that 
of  Columbus.  The  king  gave  his  consent,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1497  John  Cabot,  with  his  son  Sebastian,3  who 
seems  to  have  been  born  in  Bristol,  sailed  from  that  port. 
They  headed  their  vessels  toward  the  northwest ;  by  going 

1  Cabot  (Cab'ot).          a  See  map  on  page  40.        8  Sebastian  (Se-bast'yan). 


Map  showing  the  city  of  Venice,  Italy,  where 
John  Cabot  had  lived. 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


in  that  direction  they  hoped  to  get  to  those  parts  of 
Asia  and  the  Spice  Islands  which  were  known  to  Europe, 
and  which  Columbus  had  failed  to  reach. 

Early  one  bright  morning  toward  the  last  of  June,  1497, 
they  saw  land  in  the  west.  It  was 
probably  Cape  Breton1  Island,  a 
part  of  Nova  Scotia.2  John  Cabot 
named  it  "The  Land  First  Seen." 
Up  to  this  time  Columbus  had  dis 
covered  nothing  but  the  West  In 
dia  Islands,  but  John  Cabot  now 
saw  the  continent  of  North  Amer- 
no  civilized  man3  had 


ica 


ever 


seen  it  before.     There  it  lay,  a  great,  lonely  land,  shaggy 
with  forests,  with  not  a  house  or  a  human  being  in  sight. 

22.  John  Cabot  takes  possession  of  the  country  for  the  king 
of  England.  —  Cabot  went  on  shore  with  his  son  and  some 
of  his  crew.  In  the  vast,  silent  wilderness  they  set  up  a 
large  cross.  Near  to  it  they 
planted  two  flag-poles,  and 
hoisted  the  English  flag  on 
one  and  the  flag  of  Venice,4 
the  city  where  John  Cabot 
had  lived  in  Italy,  on  the 
other.  Then  they  took  pos 
session  of  the  land  for  Henry 
the  Seventh.  It  was  in  this 
way  that  the  English  came  to  consider  that  the  eastern 

1  Breton  (Bret'on).  2  Nova  Scotia  (No'vah  Sko'she-a). 

8  The  Northmen :  an  uncivilized  people  of  Norway  and  Denmark  discovered 
the  continent  of  North  America  about  five  hundred  years  before  Cabot  did. 
Nothing  came  of  this  discovery,  and  when  Cabot  sailed,  no  one  seems  to  have 
known  anything  about  what  the  Northmen  had  done  so  long  before. 

«  Venice  (Ven'is). 


-JKP 


JOHN    CABOT.  15 

coast  of  North  America  was  their  property,  although  they 
did  not  begin  to  make  settlements  here  until  nearly  a  hun 
dred  years  later. 

23.  John  Cabot  and  his  son  return  to  Bristol.  —  After  sail 
ing  about  the  Gulf  of  St.   Lawrence  without  ^finding  the 
passage  through  to  Asia  for  which  they  were  looking,  the 
voyagers  returned  to  England. 

The  king  was  so  pleased  with  what  John  Cabot  had  dis 
covered  that  he  made  him  a  handsome  present ;  and  when 
the  captain,  richly  dressed  in  silk,  appeared  in  the  street, 
the  people  of  Bristol  would  "  run  after  him  like  mad  "  and 
hurrah  for  the  "  Great  Admiral,"  as  they  called  him. 

24.  What  the  Cabots  carried  back  to  England  from  Amer 
ica, —  The  Cabots  carried  back  to  England  some  Indian 
traps  for  catching  game  and  perhaps  some  wild  turkeys  — 
an  American  bird  the  English  had  then  never  seen,  but 
whose  acquaintance  they  were  not  sorry  to  make.     They 
also  carried  over  the  rib  of  a  whale  which  they  had  found 
on  the  beach  in  Nova  Scotia. 

Near  where  the  Cabots  probably  lived  in  Bristol  there  is 
a  famous  old  church.1  It  was  built  long  before  the  discov 
ery  of  America,  and  Queen  Elizabeth  said  that  it  was  the 
most  beautiful  building  of  its  kind  in  all  England.  In  that 
church  hangs  the  rib  of  a  whale.  It  is  believed  to  be  the 
one  the  Cabots  brought  home  with  them.  It  reminds  all 
who  see  it  of  that  voyage  in  1497  by  which  England  got 
possession  of  a  very  large  part  of  the  continent  of  North 
America. 

25.  The   second   voyage   of  the   Cabots;   how   they  sailed 
along  the  eastern  shores  of  North  America.  —  About  a  year 
later  the  Cabots  set  out  on  a  second  voyage  to  the  west. 
They  reached  the  gloomy  cliffs  of  Labrador2  on  the  north- 

l  The  church  of  St  Mary  Redcliffe.  2  Labrador  (Lab'ra-dor). 


i6 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


eastern  coast  of  America,  and  they  passed  many  immense 
icebergs.  They  saw  numbers  of  Indians  dressed  in  the 
skins  of  wild  beasts,  and  polar  bears  white  as  snow.  These 

bears  were  great  swimmers, 
and  would  dive  into  the  sea 
and  come  up  with  a  large 
fish  in  their  claws.  As  it 
did  not  look  to  the  Cabots 
as  if  the  polar  bears  and 
the  icebergs  would  guide 
them  to  the  warm  countries 
of  Asia  and  the  Spice  Is 
lands,  they  turned  about  and 
went  south.  They  sailed 
along  what  is  now  the  east 
ern  coast  of  the  United 
States  for  a  very  long  dis 
tance  ;  but  not  finding  any 
passage  through  to  the  countries  they  were  seeking,  they 
returned  to  England. 

The  English  now  began  to  see  what  an  immense  extent 
of  land  they  had  found  beyond  the  Atlantic.  They  could 
not  tell,  however,  whether  it  was  a  continent  by  itself  or  a 
part  of  Asia.  Like  everybody  in  Europe,  they  called  it 
the  New  World,  but  all  that  name  really  meant  then  was 
simply  the  New  Lands  across  the  sea. 

26.  How  the  New  World  came  to  be  called  America. — 
But  not  many  years  after  this  the  New  World  received 
the  name  by  which  we  now  call  it.  An  Italian  navigator 
whose  first  name  was  Amerigo l  made  a  voyage  to  it 
after  it  had  been  discovered  by  Columbus  and  the  Cabots. 


Map  showing  how  much  of  the  continent  of 
North  America  was  discovered  by  the 
Cabots. 


1  Amerigo  (A-ma-ree'go)  :  his  full  name  was  Amerigo  Vespucci  (A-ma-ree'go 
Ves-poot'chee),  or,  as  he  wrote  it  in  Latin,  Americus  Vespucius. 


PONCE  DE  LEON. BALBOA.  I/ 

He  wrote  an  account  of  what  he  saw,  and  as  this  was  the 
first  printed  description  of  the  continent,  it  was  named 
from  him,  AMERICA. 

27.  Summary. —  In  1497  John  Cabot  and  his  son,  from 
Bristol,  England,  discovered  the  mainland  or  continent  of 
North  America,  and  took  possession  of   it  for  England. 
The  next  year  they  came  over  and  sailed  along  the  eastern 
coast  of  what  is  now  the  United  States. 

An  Italian  whose  first  name  was  Amerigo  visited  the 
New  World  afterward  and  wrote  the  first  account  of  the 
mainland  which  was  printed.  For  this  reason  the  whole 
continent  was  named  after  him,  AMERICA. 

Who  was  John  Cabot  ?  What  did-  he  try  to  do  ?  Who  sailed  with  him  ? 
What  land  did  they  see  ?  Had  Columbus  ever  seen  it  ?  What  did  Cabot  do 
when  he  went  on  shore  ?  What  is  said  of  his  return  to  Bristol  ?  What  did  the 
Cabots  carry  back  to  England  ?  What  is  said  about  the  second  voyage  of  the 
Cubots  ?  How  did  the  New  World  come  to  be  called  America  ? 

PONCE  DE  LEON,1  BALBOA,2  AND  DE  SOTO3 

(Period  of  Discovery,  1513-1542). 

28.  The  magic  fountain ;  Ponce  de  Leon  discovers  Florida ; 
Balboa  discovers  the  Pacific  Ocean.  —  The  Indians  on  the 
West  India  Islands  believed  that  there  was  a  wonderful 
fountain  in  a  land  to  the  west  of  them.     They  said  that  if 
an  old  man  should  bathe  in  its  waters,  they  would  make 
him  a  toy  again.     Ponce  de  Leon,  a  Spanish  soldier  who 
was  getting  gray  and  wrinkled,  set  out  to  find  this  magic 
fountain,  for  he  thought  that  there  was  more  fun  in  being 
a  boy  than  in  growing  old. 

1  Ponce  de  Leon  (Pon'thay  day  La-on')  or,  in  English,  Pons  de  Lee'on.     Many 
persons  now  prefer  the  English  pronunciation  of  all  these  Spanish  names. 

2  Balboa  (Bal-bo'ah).  s  De  Soto  (Da  So'to). 


i8  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

He  did  not  find  the  fountain,  and  so  his  hair  grew 
grayer  than  ever  and  his  wrinkles  grew  deeper.  But  in 
1513  he  discovered  a  land  bright  with  flowers,  which  he 
named  Florida.1  He  took  possession  of  it  for  Spain. 

The  same  year  another  Spaniard,  named  Balboa,  set  out 
to  explore  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.2  One  day  he  climbed 
to  the  top  of  a  very  high  hill,  and  discovered  that  vast 
ocean  —  the  greatest  of  all  the  oceans  of  the  globe  —  which 
we  call  the  Pacific. 

29.  De  Soto  discovers  the  Mississippi.  —  Long  after  Balboa 
and  Ponce  de  Leon  were  dead,  a  Spaniard  named  De  Soto 
landed  in  Florida  and  marched  through  the  country  in 
search  of  gold  mines. 


BURIAL  OF  DE  SOTO. 

In  the  course  of  his  long  and  weary  wanderings,  he  came 
to  a  river  more  than  a  mile  across.  The  Indians  told  him 
it  was  the  Mississippi,  or  the  Great  River.  In  discovering 
it,  De  Soto  had  found  the  largest  river  in  North  America ; 
he  had  also  found  his  own  grave,  for  he  died  shortly  after, 
and  was  secretly  buried  at  midnight  in  its  muddy  waters. 

1  Florida :  this  word  means  flowery ;  the  name  was  given  by  the  Spaniards 
because  they  discovered  the  country  on  Easter  Sunday,  which  they  call  Flowery 
Easter.  2  Panama  (Pan-a-mah'). 


DE    SOTO.  IQ 

30.  The  Spaniards  build  St.  Augustine;1  we  buy  Florida 
in  1819.  —  More  than  twenty  years  after  the  burial  of  De 
Soto,  a  Spanish  soldier  named  Menendez2  went  to  Florida 
and  built  a  fort  on  the  eastern  coast.  This  was  in  1565. 
The  fort  became  the  centre  of  a  settlement  named  St. 
Augustine.  It  is  the  oldest  city  built  by  white  men,  not 
only  in  what  is 
now  the  United 
States,  but  in  all 
North  America. 

In  1819,  or  more 
than  two  hundred 
and  fifty  years 
after  St.  Augus 
tine  was  begun, 
Spain  sold  Flor 
ida  to  the  United 
States. 

31.  Summary. — 
Ponce  de  Leon 
discovered  Flor 
ida  ;  another  Spaniard,  named  Balboa,  discovered  the  Pa 
cific  ;  still  another,  named  De  Soto,  discovered  the  Missis 
sippi.  In  1565  the  Spaniards  began  to  build  St.  Augus 
tine  in  Florida.  It  is  the  oldest  city  built  by  white  men 
in  the  United  States  or  in  all  North  America. 

What  is  said  about  a  magic  fountain  ?  What  did  Ponce  De  Leon  do  ?  What 
is  said  about  Balboa  ?  What  about  De  Soto  ?  What  did  Menendez  do  in  Florida  ? 
What  is  said  of  St.  Augustine  ? 


OLD  SPANISH  GATEWAY  AT  ST.  AUGUSTINE. 
(Called  the  "  City  Gate.") 


1  St.  Augustine  (Sant  Aw'gus-teen'). 


2  Menendez  (Ma-nen'deth). 


20 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


SIR   WALTER   RALEIGH1 
(1552-1618). 

32.  Walter  Raleigh  sends  two  ships  to  America;  how  the 
Indians   received   the  Englishmen.  —  Although  John  Cabot 
discovered  the  continent  of  North  America  in   1497  and 
took  possession  of  the  land  for  the  English,2  yet  the  Eng 
lish  themselves  did  not  try  to  settle  here  until  nearly  a 
hundred  years  later. 

Then  (1584)  a  young  man  named  Walter  Raleigh,  who 
was  a  great  favorite  of  Queen  Elizabeth's,  sent  out  two 
ships  to  America.  The  captains  of  these  vessels  landed  on 
Roanoke3  Island,  on  the  coast  of 
what  is  now  the  state  of  North  Car 
olina.  They  found  the  island  cov 
ered  with  tall  red  cedars  and  with 
vines  thick  with  clusters  of  wild 
grapes.  The  Indians  called  this 
place  the  "  Good  Land."  They  were 
pleased  to  see  the  Englishmen,  and 
they  invited  them  to  a  great  feast  of 
roast  turkey,  venison,4  melons,  and 
nuts. 

33.  Queen   Elizabeth    names    the    country   Virginia ;    first 
settlers;   what  they  sent  Walter  Raleigh.  —  When  the  two 
captains   returned   to    England,    Queen    Elizabeth  —  the 
"  Virgin  Queen,"  as  she  was  called  —  was  delighted  with 
what  she  heard  of  the   "  Good    Land."      She   named   it 
Virginia  in  honor  of  herself.     She  also  gave  Raleigh  a 
title  of  honor.     From  that  time  he  was  no  longer  called 


1  Raleigh  (Raw'li).  2  See  page  14. 

4  Venison  (ven'i-zon  or  ven'zon)  :  deer  meat. 


3  Roanoke  (Ro-a-nok'). 


SIR   WALTER   RALEIGH.  21 

plain    Walter    Raleigh    or    MP.   Raleigh,    but    Sir   Walter 
Raleigh. 

Sir  Walter  now  (1585)  shipped  over  emigrants1  to  settle 
in  Virginia.  They  sent  back  to  him  as  a  present  two  fa 
mous  American  plants  —  one  called  Tobacco,  the  other  the 
Potato.  The  queen  had  given  Sir  Walter  a  fine  estate  in 
Ireland,  and  he  set  out  both  the  plants  in  his  garden.  The 
tobacco  plant  did  not  grow  very  well  there,  but  the  potato 
did  ;  and  after  a  time  thousands  of  farmers  began  to  raise 
that  vegetable,  not  only  in  Ireland,  but  in  England  too. 
As  far  back  then  as  that  time  —  or  more  than  three  hun 
dred  years  ago  —  America  was  beginning  to  feed  the  peo 
ple  of  the  Old  World. 

34.  The  Virginia  settlement  destroyed.  —  Sir  Walter  spent 
immense  sums  of  money  on  his  settlement  in  Virginia,  but 
it  did  not  succeed.     One  of  the  settlers,  named  Dare,  had 
a  daughter  born  there.      He  named    her  Virginia   Dare. 
She  was  the  first  English  child  born  in  America.     But  the 
little  girl,  with  her  father  and  mother  and  all  the  rest  of 
the  settlers,  disappeared.     It  is  supposed  that  they  were 
either  killed  by  the  Indians  or  that  they  wandered  away 
and  starved  to  death ;  but  all  that  we  really  know  is  that 
not  one  of  them  was  ever  seen  again. 

35.  Last  days  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  —  After  Queen  Eliza 
beth  died,  King  James  the  First  became  ruler  of  England. 
He  accused  Sir  Walter  of  trying  to  take  away  his  crown  so 
as  to  make  some  one  else  ruler  over  the  country.   Sir  Walter 
was  sent  to  prison  and  kept  there  for  many  years.    At  last 
King  James  released  him  in  order  to  send  him  to  South 
America  to  get  gold.     When  Sir  Walter  returned  to  Lon 
don  without  any  gold,  the  greedy  king  accused   him   of 

1  Emigrants:  persons  who  leave  one  country  to  go  and  settle  in  another. 
Thousands  of  emigrants  from  Europe  now  land  in  this  country  every  month. 


22 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


having  disobeyed  him  because  he  had  fought  with  some 
Spaniards.  Raleigh  was  condemned  to  death  and  be 
headed. 

But  Sir  Walter's  attempt  to  settle  Virginia  led  other 

Englishmen  to  try.  Before 
he  died  they  built  a  town,  called 
Jamestown,  on  the  coast.  We 
shall  presently  read  the  history 
of  that  town.  The  English 
held  Virginia  from  that  time 
until  it  became  part  of  the 
United  States. 

36.  Summary.  —  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  sent  over  men  from 
England  to  explore  the  coast 
of  America.  Queen  Elizabeth 
named  the  country  they  visited  Virginia.  Raleigh  then 
shipped  emigrants  over  to  make  a  settlement.  These 
emigrants  sent  him  two  American  plants,  Tobacco  and  the 
Potato ;  and  in  that  way  the  people  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland  came  to  like  both.  Sir  Walter's  settlement  failed, 
but  his  example  led  other  Englishmen  to  try  to  make  one. 
Before  he  was  beheaded  they  succeeded. 

What  is  said  about  Walter  Raleigh  ?  What  is  said  about  the  Indians  ?  What 
name  did  Queen  Elizabeth  give  to  the  country  ?  What  did  she  do  for  Walter 
Raleigh  ?  What  did  Sir  Walter  then  do  ?  What  American  plants  did  the  emi 
grants  send  him  ?  What  did  he  do  with  those  plants  ?  What  happened  to  the 
Virginia  settlement  ?  What  is  said  of  the  last  days  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  ?  Did 
Sir  Walter's  attempt  to  settle  Virginia  do  any  good  ? 


THE  FIRST  PIPE  OF  TOBACCO. 

(Raleigh's  servant  thought  his  master 
was  on  fire.) 


CAPTAIN    JOHN    SMITH.  23 

CAPTAIN    JOHN    SMITH 
(1579-1631). 

37.  New  and  successful  attempt  to  make  a  settlement  in 
Virginia  ;  Captain  John  Smith.  —  One  of  the  leaders  in  the 
new  expedition  sent  out  to  make  a  settlement  in  Virginia, 
while  Raleigh  was   in    prison,  was  Captain  John    Smith. 
He  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  England.    Not  liking  his  work, 
he  ran  away  and  turned   soldier.      After  many  strange 
adventures,  he  was  captured  by  the  Turks  and  sold  as  a 
slave.     His  master,  who  was  a  Turk,  riveted  a  heavy  iron 
collar  around  his  neck  and 

set  him  to  thrashing  grain 
with  a  big  wooden  bat  like 
a  ball-club.  One  day  the 
Turk  rode  up  and  struck 
his  slave  with  his  riding- 
whip.  This  was  more  than 
Smith  could  bear;  he 
rushed  at  his  master,  and 
with  one  blow  of  his  bat  ; 
knocked  his  brains  out. 
He  then  mounted  the  dead 
man's  horse  and  escaped. 
After  a  time  he  got  back 

to  England ;  but  as  England  seemed  a  little  dull  to  Cap 
tain  Smith,  he  resolved  to  join  some  emigrants  who  were 
going  to  Virginia. 

38.  What  happened  to  Captain  Smith  on  the  voyage;  the 
landing  at  Jamestown  ;  what  the  settlers  wanted  to  do  ;  Smith's 
plan.  —  On  the  way  to  America,  Smith  was  accused   of 
plotting  to  murder  the  chief  men  among  the  settlers  so 


THE    BEGINNER  S   AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


1607 


that  he  might  make  himself  "  King  of  Virginia."  The 
accusation  was  false,  but  he  was  put  in  irons  and  kept  a 
prisoner  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage. 

In  the  spring  of  1607  the  emigrants  reached  Chesapeake  1 
Bay,  and  sailed  up  a  river  which  they  named  the  James  in 
honor  of  King  James  of  England  ;  when  they  landed  they 
named  the  settlement  Jamestown  for  the  same  reason. 

Here  they  built  a  log  fort,  and  placed 

three  or  four  small  cannon  on  its  walls. 
Most  of  the  men  who  settled  James 
town  came  hoping  to  find  mines  of  gold 
in  Virginia,  or  else  a  way  through  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean  and  to  the  Indies, 
which  they  thought  could  not  be  very 
far  away.  But  Captain  Smith  wanted 
to  help  his  countrymen  to  make  homes  here  for  themselves 
and  their  children. 

39.  Smith's  trial  and  what  came  of  it;  how  the  settlers 
lived ;  the  first  English  church ;  sickness ;  attempted  deser 
tion.  —  As  soon  as  Captain  Smith  landed,  he  demanded  to 
be  tried  by  a  jury2  of  twelve  men.  The  trial  took  place. 
It  was  the  first  English  court  and  the  first  English  jury 
that  ever  sat  in  America.  The  captain  proved  his  inno 
cence  and  was  set  free.  His  chief  accuser  was  condemned 
to  pay  him  a  large  sum  of  money  for  damages.  Smith 
generously  gave  this  money  to  help  the  settlement. 

As  the  weather  was  warm,  the  emigrants  did  not  begin 
building  log  cabins  at  once,  but  slept  on  the  ground,  shel 
tered  by  boughs  of  trees.  For  a  church  they  had  an  old 


1  Chesapeake  (Ches'a-peek). 

2  Jury:  a  number  of  men,  generally  twelve,  selected  according  to  law  to  try  a 
case  in  a  court  of  law;  in  criminal  cases  they  declare  the  person  accused  to  be 
either  guilty  or  not  guilty. 


CAPTAIN    JOHN    SMITH.  25 

tent,  in  which  they  met  on  Sunday.  They  were  all  mem- 
bers  of  the  Church  of  England,  or  the  Episcopal  Church, 
and  that  tent  was  the  first  place  of  worship  that  we  know 
of  which  was  opened  by  Englishmen  in  America. 

When  the  hot  weather  came,  many  fell  sick.  Soon  the 
whole  settlement  was  like  a  hospital.  Sometimes  three  or 
four  would  die  in  one  night.  Captain  Smith,  though  not 
well  himself,  did  everything  he  could  for  those  who  needed 
his  help. 

When  the  sickness  was  over,  some  of  the  settlers  were 
so  discontented  that  they  determined  to  seize  the  only 
vessel  there  was  at  Jamestown  and  go  back  to  England. 
Captain  Smith  turned  the  cannon  of  the  fort  against  them. 
The  deserters  saw  that  if  they  tried  to  leave  the  harbor 
he  would  knock  their  vessel  to  pieces,  so  they  came  back. 
One  of  the  leaders  of  these  men  was  tried  and  shot ;  the 
other  was  sent  to  England  in  disgrace. 

40.  The  Indians  of  Virginia.  —  When  the  Indians  of 
America  first  met  the  white  men,  they  were  very  friendly 
to  them ;  but  this  did  not  last  long,  because  often  the 
whites  treated  the  Indians  very  badly ;  in  fact,  the  Span 
iards  made  slaves  of  them  and  whipped  many  of  them  to 
death.  But  these  were  the  Indians  of  the  south ;  some  of 
the  northern  tribes  were  terribly  fierce  and  a  match  for  the 
Spaniards  in  cruelty. 

The  Indians  at  the  east  did  not  build  cities,  but  lived  in 
small  villages.  These  villages  were  made  up  of  huts, 
covered  with  the  bark  of  trees.  Such  huts  were  called 
wigwams.  The  women  did  nearly  all  the  work,  such  as 
building  the  wigwams  and  hoeing  corn  and  tobacco.  The 
men  hunted  and  made  war.  Instead  of  guns  the  Indians 
had  bows  and  arrows.  With  these  they  could  bring  down 
a  deer  or  a  squirrel  quite  as  well  as  a  white  man  could  now 


26 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


BUILDING  A  WIGWAM. 


with  a  rifle.     They  had  no  iron,  but  made  hatchets  and 

knives  out  of  sharp,  flat  stones.  They  never  built  roads, 

for  they  had  no  wagons, 
and  at  the  east  they  did 
not  use  horses  ;  but  they 
could  find  their  way  with 
ease  through  the  thick 
est  forest.  When  they 
came  to  a  river  they 
swam  across  it,  so  they 
had  no  need  of  bridges. 
For  boats  they  made 
canoes  of  birch  bark. 

These  canoes  were  almost  as  light  as  paper,  yet  they  were 

very  strong  and  handsome,  and  they 

"  floated  on  the  river 
Like  a  yellow  leaf  in  autumn, 
Like  a  yellow  water-lily." l 

In  them  they  could  go  hundreds  of  miles  quickly  and 
silently.  So  every  river  and  stream  became  a  roadway  to 
the  Indian. 

41.  Captain  Smith  goes  in  search  of  the  Pacific ;  he  is 
captured  by  Indians.  —  After  that  first  long,  hot  summer 
was  over,  some  of  the  settlers  wished  to  explore  the  coun 
try  and  see  if  they  could  not  find  a  short  way  through  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  Captain  Smith  led  the  expedition. 
The  Indians  attacked  them,  killed  three  of  the  men,  and 
took  the  captain  prisoner.  To  amuse  the  Indians,  Smith 
showed  them  his  pocket  compass.  When  the  savages  saw 
that  the  needle  always  pointed  toward  the  north  they  were 
greatly  astonished,  and  instead  of  killing  their  prisoner 


1  Longfellow's  Hiawatha  (Hiawatha's  Sailing). 


CAPTAIN    JOHN    SMITH.  2? 

they  decided  to  take  him  to  their  chief.     This  chief  was 
named    Powhatan.1      He  was  a  tall,   grim- 
looking  old  man,  and  he  hated  the  settlers 
at  Jamestown,  because  he  believed  that  they 
had  come  to  steal  the  land  from  the  Indians.     POCKET  COMPASS. 

42.  Smith's  life  is  saved  by  Pocahontas ; 2  her  marriage  to 
John  Rolfe.3 —  Smith  was  dragged  into  the  chief's  wigwam  ; 
his  head  was  laid  on  a  large,  flat  stone,  and  a  tall  savage 
with  a  big  club  stood  ready  to  dash  out  his  brains.     Just 
as  Powhatan  was  about  to  cry   "  strike !  "   his   daughter 
Pocahontas,  a  girl  of  twelve  or  thirteen,  ran  up,  and,  put 
ting  her  arms  round  the  prisoner's  head,  she  laid  her  own 
head  on  his  —  now  let  the  Indian  with  his  uplifted  club 
strike  if  he  dare.4 

Instead  of  being  angry  with  his  daughter,  Powhatan 
promised  her  that  he  would  spare  Smith's  life.  When  an 
Indian  made  such  a  promise  as  that  he  kept  it,  so  the 
captain  knew  that  his  head  was  safe.  Powhatan  released 
his  prisoner  and  soon  sent  him  back  to  Jamestown,  and 
Pocahontas,  followed  by  a  number  of  Indians,  carried  to 
the  settlers  presents  of  corn  and  venison. 

Some  years  after  this  the  Indian  maiden  married  John 
Rolfe,  an  Englishman  who  had  come  to  Virginia.  They 
went  to  London,  and  Pocahontas  died  not  far  from  that 
city.  She  left  a  son  ;  from  that  son  came  some  noted 
Virginians.  One  of  them  was  John  Randolph.  He  was  a 
famous  man  in  his  day,  and  he  always  spoke  with  pride 
of  the  Indian  princess,  as  he  called  her. 

43.  Captain  Smith  is  made  governor  of  Jamestown ;  the  gold- 
diggers;  "Corn,  or  your  life."-— More  emigrants  came  over 
from  England,  and  Captain  Smith  was  now  made  governor 

i  Powhatan  (Pow-ha-tan').     «  Pocahontas  (Po-ka-hon'tas).     »  Rolfe  (Rolf). 
*  On  Pocahontas,  see  List  of  Books  on  page  222. 


28  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

of  Jamestown.  Some  of  the  emigrants  found  some  glitter 
ing  earth  which  they  thought  was  gold.  Soon  nearly  every 
one  was  hard  at  work  digging  it.  Smith  laughed  at  them ; 
but  they  insisted  on  loading  a  ship  with  the  worthless  stuff 
and  sending  it  to  London.  That  was  the  last  that  was 
heard  of  it. 

The  people  had  wasted  their  time  digging  this  shining 
dirt  when  they  should  have  been  hoeing  their  gardens. 
Soon  they  began  to  be  in  great  want  of  food.  The  cap 
tain  started  off  with  a  party  of  men  to  buy  corn  of  the 
Indians.  The  Indians  contrived  a  cunning  plot  to  kill  the 

whole  party.  Smith  luckily  found 
it  out;  seizing  the  chief  by  the 
hair,  he  pressed  the  muzzle  of  a 
pistol  against  his  heart  and  gave 
him  his  choice,  —  "  Corn,  or  your 
life !  "  He  got  the  corn,  and 
plenty  of  it. 

44.  "  He  who  will  not  work  shall 
not  eat."  —  Captain  Smith  then  set 

"CORN,  OR  YOUR  LIFE!"  . 

part  of  the  men  to  planting  corn, 

so  that  they  might  raise  what  they  needed.  The  rest  of  the 
settlers  he  took  with  him  into  the  woods  to  chop  down 
trees  and  saw  them  into  boards  to  send  to  England. 
Many  tried  to  escape  from  this  labor;  but  Smith  said,  Men 
who  are  able  to  dig  for  gold  are  able  to  chop;  then  he 
made  this  rule  :  "  He  who  will  not  work  shall  not  eat." 
Rather  than  lose  his  dinner,  the  laziest  man  now  took 
his  axe  and  set  off  for  the  woods. 

45.  Captain  Smith's  cold-water  cure.  —  But  though  the 
choppers  worked,  they  grumbled.  They  liked  to  see  the 
chips  fly  and  to  hear  the  great  trees  "  thunder  as  they 
fell,"  but  the  axe-handles  raised  blisters  on  their  fingers. 


CAPTAIN    JOHN    SMITH.  2Q 

These  blisters  made  the  men  swear,  so  that  often  one 
would  hear  an  oath  for  every  stroke  of  the  axe.  Smith 
said  the  swearing  must  be  stopped.  He  had  each  man's 
oaths  set  down  in  a  book.  When  the  day's  work  was  done, 
every  offender  was  called  up  ;  his  oaths  were  counted ; 
then  he  was  told  to  hold  up  his  right  hand,  and  a  can  of 
cold  water  was  poured  down  his  sleeve  for  each  oath.  This 
new  style  of  water  cure  did  wonders ;  in  a  short  time  not 
an  oath  was  heard:  it  was  just  chop,  chop,  chop,  and  the 
madder  the  men  got,  the  more  the  chips  would  fly. 

46.  Captain  Smith  meets  with  an  accident  and  goes  back  to 
England ;  his  return  to  America ;  his  death.  —  Captain  Smith 
had  not  been  governor  very  long  when  he  met  with  a  ter 
rible  accident.     He  was  out  in  a  boat,  and  a  bag  of  gun 
powder  he  had  with  him  exploded.     He  was  so  badly  hurt 
that  he  had  to  go  back  to  England  to  get  proper  treatment 
for  his  wounds. 

He  returned  to  America  a  number  of  years  later,  ex 
plored  the  coast  northf  of  Virginia,  and  gave  it  the  name  of 
New  England,  but  he  never  went  back  to  Jamestown  again. 
He  died  in  London,  and  was  buried  in  a  famous  old  church 
in  that  city.1 

47.  What  Captain  Smith  did  for  Virginia.  —  Captain  John 
Smith  was  in  Virginia  less  than  three  years,  yet  in  that 
short  time  he  did  a  great  deal.     First,  he  saved  the  settlers 
from  starving,  by  making  the  Indians  sell  them  corn.    Next, 
by  his  courage,  he  saved  them  from  the  attacks  of  the  sav 
ages.     Lastly,  he  taught  them  how  to  work.     Had  it  not 
been  for  him  the  people  of  Jamestown  would  probably 
have  lost  all  heart  and  gone  back  to  England.    He  insisted 
on  their  staying,  and  so,  through  him,  the  English  got  their 
first  real  foothold  in  America.      But  this  was  not  all ;  he 

l  The  church  of  St.  Sepulchre :  it  is  not  very  far  from  St.  Paul's  Cathedral. 


THE    BEGINNER  S   AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


A  SETTLER'S  LOG  CABIN 


wrote  two  books  on  Virginia,  describing  the  soil,  the  trees, 

the  animals,  and  the  In 
dians.  He  also  made 
some  excellent  maps  of 
Virginia  and  of  New 
England.  These  books 
and  maps  taught  the 
English  people  many 
things  about  this  coun 
try,  and  helped  those 
who  wished  to  emigrate. 
For  these  reasons  Cap 
tain  Smith  has  rightfully 
been  called  the  "  Father 
of  Virginia." 

48.  Negro  slaves  sent  to  Virginia;   tobacco.  —  About  ten 
years  after  Captain  Smith  left  Jamestown,  the  commander 
of  a  Dutch  ship  brought  a  number  of  negro  slaves  to  Vir 
ginia  (1619),  and  sold  them  to  the  settlers.     That  was  the 
beginning  of  slavery  in  this  country.     Later,  when  other 
English  settlements  had  been  made,  they  bought  slaves, 
and  so,  after  a  time,  every  settlement  north  as  well  as  south 
owned  more  or  less  negroes.     The  people  of  Virginia  em 
ployed  most  of  their  slaves  in  raising  tobacco.     They  sold 
this  in  England,  and,  as  it  generally  brought  a  good  price, 
many  of  the  planters l  became  quite  rich. 

49.  Bacon's  war  against  Governor  Berkeley;2    Jamestown 
burned.  —  Long  after  Captain  Smith  was  in  his  grave,  Sir 
William  Berkeley  was  made  governor  of  Virginia  by  the 
king  of  England.     He  treated  the  people  very  badly.     At 

1  Planter :  a  person  who  owns  a  plantation  or  large  farm  at  the  South ;  it  is  cul 
tivated  by  laborers  living  on  it ;  once  these  laborers  were  generally  negro  slaves. 

2  Berkeley  (Berk'li). 


CAPTAIN    JOHN    SMITH. 


last  a  young  planter  named  Bacon  raised  a  small  army 
and  marched  against  the  governor,  who  was  in  James 
town.  The  governor,  finding  that  he  had  few  friends  to 
fight  for  him,  made  haste  to  get  out  of  the  place.  Bacon 
then  entered  it  with  his  men ;  but  as  he  knew  that, 
if  necessary,  the  king  would  send  soldiers  from  Eng 
land  to  aid  the  governor 
in  getting  it  back,  he  set 
fire  to  the  place  and 
burned  it.  It  was  never 
built  up  again,  and  so  only 
a  crumbling  church -tower 
and  a  few  gravestones  can 
now  be  seen  where  James 
town  once  stood.  Those 
ruins  mark  the  first  Eng 
lish  town  settled  in  Amer 
ica. 


THE  BURNING  OF  JAMESTOWN. 


50.  What  happened  later  in  Virginia ;  the  Revolution ;  Wash 
ington;  four  presidents.  —  But  though  Jamestown  was  de 
stroyed,  Virginia  kept  growing  in  strength  and  wealth. 
What  was  better  still,  the  country  grew  in  the  number  of  its 
great  men.  The  king  of  England  continued  to  rule  America 
until,  in  1776,  the  people  of  Virginia  demanded  that  inde 
pendence  should  be  declared.  The  great  war  of  the  Rev 
olution  overthrew  the  king's  power  and  made  us  free.  The 
military  leader  of  that  war  was  a  Virginia  planter  named 
George  Washington. 

After  we  had  gained  the  victory  and  peace  was  made, 
we  chose  presidents  to  govern  the  country.  Four  out  of 
five  of  our  first  presidents,  beginning  with  Washington, 
came  from  Virginia.  For  this  reason  that  state  has  some 
times  been  called  the  "  Mother  of  Presidents." 


32  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

51.  Summary,  —  In  1607  Captain  John  Smith,  with  others, 
made  the  first  lasting  settlement  built  up  by  Englishmen 
in  America.  Through  Captain  Smith's  energy  and  cour 
age,  Jamestown,  Virginia,  took  firm  root.  Virginia  was 
the  first  state  to  demand  the  independence  of  America, 
and  Washington,  who  was  a  Virginian,  led  the  war  of  the 
Revolution  by  which  that  independence  was  gained. 

What  can  you  tell  about  Captain  John  Smith  before  he  went  to  Virginia  ? 
What  happened  tc  him  on  his  way  to  Virginia  ?  What  is  said  about  the  landing 
of  the  settlers  in  Virginia  ?  What  did  they  want  to  do  ?  What  did  Captain  Smith 
want  to  do  ?  What  about  Captain  Smith's  trial  ?  What  is  said  about  the  church 
in  Jamestown  ?  What  happened  to  the  settlers  ?  What  did  some  of  them  try  to 
do  ?  Who  stopped  them  ?  Tell  what  you  can  about  the  Indians.  What  kind  of 
houses  did  they  live  in  ?  Did  they  have  guns  ?  Did  they  have  iron  hatchets  and 
knives  ?  Did  they  have  horses  and  wagons  ?  What  kind  of  boats  did  they  have  ? 
What  happened  to  Captain  Smith  when  he  went  in  search  of  the  Pacific  ?  What 
did  Pocahontas  do  ?  What  is  said  about  her  afterward  ?  What  about  the  gold- 
diggers  ?  How  did  Captain  Smith  get  corn  ?  What  did  he  make  the  settlers  do  ? 
What  is  said  about  Captain  Smith's  cold-water  cure  ?  Why  did  Captain  Smith  go 
back  to  England  ?  What  three  things  did  he  do  for  Virginia  ?  What  about  his 
books  and  maps  ?  What  is  said  of  negro  slaves  ?  What  about  tobacco  ?  What 
about  Governor  Berkeley  and  Mr.  Bacon  ?  What  happened  to  Jamestown  ? 
What  did  the  war  of  the  Revolution  do  ?  Who  was  its  great  military  leader  ? 
Why  is  Virginia  sometimes  called  the  "  Mother  of  Presidents  "  ? 


CAPTAIN    HENRY   HUDSON 

(Voyages  from  1607  to  1611). 

52.  Captain  Hudson  tries  to  find  a  northwest  passage  to 
China  and  the  Indies.  —  When  Captain  John  Smith  sailed  for 
Virginia,  he  left  a  friend,  named  Henry  Hudson,  in  Lon 
don,  who  had  the  name  of  being  one  of  the  best  sea-cap 
tains  in  England. 

While  Smith  was  in  Jamestown,  a  company  of  London 
merchants  sent  out  Captain  Hudson  to  try  to  discover  a 
passage  to  China  and  the  Indies.  When  he  left  England, 
he  sailed  to  the  northwest,  hoping  that  he  could  find  a  way 


CAPTAIN    HENRY    HUDSON. 


33 


open  to  the  Pacific  across  the  North  Pole  or  not  far  be 
low  it. 

If  he  found  such  a  pas 
sage,  he  knew  that  it 
would  be  much  shorter 
than  a  voyage  round  the 
globe  further  south;  be 
cause,  as  any  one  can  see, 
it  is  not  nearly  so  far 
round  the  top  of  an  apple, 
near  the  stem,  as  it  is 
round  the  middle. 

Hudson  could  not  find 

the  passage  he  WaS  look-  Map  showing  how  Captain  Hudson  hoped  to  reach 
in0"  for*  but  he  Saw  Asia  by  sailing  northwest  from  England. 

mountains  of  ice,  and  he  went  nearer  to  the  North  Pole 
than  any  one  had  ever  done  before. 

53.  The  Dutch  hire  Captain  Hudson;  he  sails  for  America. 

-The  Dutch  people  in  Holland  had  heard  of  Hudson's 

voyage,  and  a  company  of  merchants  of  that  country  hired 

the  brave  sailor  to  see  if  he  could  find  a  passage  to  Asia 

by  sailing  to  the  northeast. 

He  set  out  from  the  port  of  Amsterdam,1  in  1609, 
in  a  vessel  named  the  Half  Moon.  After  he  had  gone 
quite  a  long  distance,  the  sailors  got  so  tired  of  seeing 
nothing  but  fog  and  ice  that  they  refused  to  go  any 
further. 

Then  Captain  Hudson  turned  his  ship  about  and  sailed 
for  the  coast  of  North  America.  He  did  that  because  his 
friend,  Captain  Smith  of  Virginia,  had  sent  him  a  letter, 
with  a  map,  which  made  him  think  that  he  could  find  such 
a  passage  as  he  wanted  north  of  Chesapeake  Bay. 

1  See  map  on  page  40. 


34 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


(Here  Albai 
sta 


54.  Captain  Hudson  reaches  America  and 
finds  the  "Great  River."  —  Hudson  got  to 
Chesapeake  Bay,  but  the  weather  was  so 
stormy  that  he  thought  it  would  not  be 
safe   to    enter   it.      He  therefore  sailed 
northward  along  the  coast.     In  Septem 
ber,  1609,    he  entered  a  beautiful  bay, 
formed  by  the  spreading  out  of  a  noble 
river.     At  that  point  the  stream  is  more 
than  a  mile  wide,  and  he  called  it  the 
"Great  River."     On  the  eastern  side  of 
it,  not  far  from  its  mouth,  there  is  a  long 
narrow  island :  the  Indians  of  that  day 
called  it  Manhattan  Island. 

55.  The  tides  in  the  "  Great  River  "  ;  Cap 
tain  Hudson  begins  to  sail  up  the  stream.  — 
One  of  the  remarkable  things  about  the 
river  which  Hudson    had   discovered  is 
that  it  has  hardly  any  current,  and  the 
tide  from  the  ocean  moves  up  for  more 
than  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.     If  no 
fresh  water  ran  in  from  the  hills,  still  the 
sea  would  fill  the  channel  for  a  long  dis 
tance,  and  so  make  a  kind  of  salt-water 
river  of  it.      Hudson  noticed  how  salt  it 
was,  and  that,  perhaps,  made  him  think 
that  he  had  at  last  actually  found  a  pas 
sage  which  would  lead  him  through  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.     He  was  de 
lighted  with  all  he  saw,  and  said,  "  This 
is  as  beautiful  a  land  as  one  can  tread 
upon."     Soon  he  began  to  sail  up  the 
stream,  wondering  what  he   should  see 


CAPTAIN    HENRY    HUDSON. 


35 


and  whether  he  should  come  out  on  an  ocean  which  would 
take  him  to  Asia. 

56.  Hudson's  voyage  on  the  "  Great  River  "  ;  his  feast  with 
the  Indians.  —  At  first  he  drifted  along,  carried  by  the  tide, 
under  the  shadow  of  a  great  natural  wall  of  rock.  That 
wall,  which  we  now  call  the  Palisades,1  is  from  four  hundred 
to  six  hundred  feet  high  ;  it  extends  for  nearly  twenty  miles 
along  the  western  shore  of  the  river. 


THE  PALISADES. 

Then,  some  distance  further  up,  Captain  Hudson  came 
to  a  place  where  the  river  breaks  through  great  forest-cov 
ered  hills,  called  the  Highlands.  At  the  end  of  the  fifth 
day  he  came  to  a  point  on  the  eastern  bank  above  the 
Highlands,  where  the  city  of  Hudson  now  stands.  Here 
an  old  Indian  chief  invited  him  to  go  ashore.  Hudson  had 
found  the  Indians,  as  he  says,  "very  loving,"  so  he  thought 
he  would  accept  the  invitation.  The  savages  made  a  great 
feast  for  the  captain.  They  gave  him  not  only  roast 
pigeons,  but  also  a  roast  dog,  which  they  cooked  specially 
for  him  :  they  wanted  he  should  have  the  very  best. 

1  Palisades:  this  name  is  given  to  the  wall  of  rock  on  the  Hudson,  because, 
when  seen  near  by,  it  somewhat  resembles  a  palisade,  or  high  fence  made  of  stakes 
or  posts  set  close  together,  upright  in  the  ground. 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


These  Indians  had  never  seen  a  white  man  before. 
They  thought  that  the  English  captain,  in  his  bright 
scarlet  coat  trimmed  with  gold  lace,  had  come  down  from 
the  sky  to  visit  them.  What  puzzled  them,  however,  was 
that  he  had  such  a  pale  face  instead  of  having  a  red  one 
like  themselves. 

At  the  end  of  the  feast  Hudson  rose  to  go,  but  the  In 
dians  begged  him  to  stay  all  night.  Then  one  of  them 
got  up,  gathered  all  the  arrows,  broke  them  to  pieces,  and 
threw  them  into  the  fire,  in  order  to  show  the  captain  that 
he  need  not  be  afraid  to  stop  with  them. 


CAPTAIN  HUDSON  ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER. 


57.  Captain  Hudson  reaches  the  end  of  his  voyage  and  turns 
back ;  trouble  with  the  Indians.  —  But  Captain  Hudson  made 
up  his  mind  that  he  must  now  go  on  with  his  voyage.  He 
went  back  to  his  ship  and  kept  on  up  the  river  until  he 
had  reached  a  point  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from 


CAPTAIN    HENRY    HUDSON.  37 

• 

its  mouth.  Here  the  city  of  Albany  now  stands.  He 
found  that  the  water  was  growing  shallow,  and  he  feared 
that  if  the  Half  Moon  went  further  she  would  get  aground. 
It  was  clear  to  him,  too,  that  wherever  the  river  might  lead, 
he  was  not  likely  to  find  it  a  short  road  to  China. 

On  the  way  down  stream  a  thievish  Indian,  who  had 
come  out  in  a  canoe,  managed  to  steal  something  from  the 
ship.  One  of  the  crew  chanced  to  see  the  Indian  as  he 
was  slyly  slipping  off,  and  picking  up  a  gun  he  fired  and 
killed  him.  After  that  Hudson's  men  had  several  fights 
with  the  Indians. 

58.  Hudson  returns  to  Europe  ;  the  "  Great  River  "  is  called 
by  his  name ;  his  death.  —  Early  in  October  the  captain  set 
sail  for  Europe.     Ever  since  that  time  the  beautiful  river 
which  he  explored  has  been  called   the    Hudson   in   his 
honor. 

The  next  year  Captain  Hudson  made  another  voyage, 
and  entered  that  immense  bay  in  the  northern  part  of 
America  which  we  now  know  as  Hudson  Bay.  There  he 
got  into  trouble  with  his  men.  Some  of  them  seized  him 
and  set  him  adrift  with  a  few  others  in  an  open  boat. 
Nothing  more  was  ever  heard  of  the  brave  English  sailor. 
The  bay  which  bears  his  name  is  probably  his  grave. 

59.  The  Dutch  take  possession  of  the  land  on  the  Hudson 
and  call  it  New  Netherland;  how  New  Nether  land  became 
New  York.  —  As  soon  as  the  Dutch  in  Holland  heard  that 
Captain  Hudson  had  found  a  country  where  the  Indians 
had  plenty  of  rich  furs  to  sell,  they  sent  out  people  to 
trade  with  them.     Holland  is  sometimes  called  the  Nether 
lands ;  that  is,  the  Low  Lands.      When  the  Dutch  took 
possession  of  the  country  on  the  Hudson  (1614),  they  gave 
it  the  name  of  New  Netherland,1  for  the  same  reason  that 

1  New  Netherland :  this  is  often  incorrectly  printed  New  Netherlands. 


38  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

•  * 

the  English  called  one  part  of  their  possessions  in  Amer 
ica  New  England.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  the  Dutch 
built  (1615)  a  fort  and  some  log  cabins  on  the  lower  end  of 
Manhattan  Island.  After  a  time  they  named  this  little 
settlement  New  Amsterdam,  in  remembrance  of  the  port 
of  Amsterdam  in  Holland  from  which  Hudson  sailed. 

After  the  Dutch  had  held  the  country  of  New  Nether- 
land  about  fifty  years,  the  English  (1664)  seized  it.  They 
changed  its  name  to  New  York,  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of 
York,  who  was  brother  to  the  king.  The  English  also 
changed  the  name  of  New  Amsterdam  to  that  of  New 
York  City. 

60.  The  New  York  "Sons  of  Liberty"  in  the  Revolution; 
what  Henry  Hudson  would  say  of  the  city  now.  —  More  than 
a  hundred  years  after  this  the  young  men  of  New  York, 
the  "  Sons  of  Liberty,"  as  they  called  themselves,  made 
ready  with  the  "  Sons  of  Liberty "  in  other  states  to  do 
their  full  part,  under  the  lead  of  General  Washington,  in 
the  great  war  of  the  Revolution,  —  that  war  by  which  we 
gained  our  freedom  from  the  rule  of  the  king  of  England, 
and  became  the  United  States  of  America. 

The  silent  harbor  where  Henry  Hudson  saw  a  few 
Indian  canoes  is  now  one  of  the  busiest  seaports  in  the 
world.  The  great  statue  of  Liberty  stands  at  its  en 
trance.1  To  it  a  fleet  of  ships  and  steamers  is  constantly 
coming  from  all  parts  of  the  globe ;  from  it  another  fleet 
is  constantly  going.  If  Captain  Hudson  could  see  the  river 
which  bears  his  name,  and  Manhattan  Island  now  cov 
ered  with  miles  of  buildings  which  make  the  largest  and 
wealthiest  city  in  America,  he  would  say  :  There  is  no  need 
of  my  looking  any  further  for  the  riches  of  China  and  the 
Indies,  for  I  have  found  them  here. 

1  In  her  right  hand  Liberty  holds  a  torch  to  guide  vessels  at  night. 


CAPTAIN    MYLES    STANDISH.  39 

61.  Summary.  —  In  1609  Henry  Hudson,  an  English  sea- 
captain,  then  in  the  employ  of  the  Dutch,  discovered  the 
river  now  called  by  his  name.     The  Dutch  took  possession 
of  the  country  on  the  river,  named  it  New  Netherland,  and 
built  a  small  settlement  on  Manhattan  Island.    Many  years 
later  the  English  seized  the  country  and  named  it  New 
York.     The  settlement  on  Manhattan  Island  then  became 
New  York  City  ;  it  is  now  the  largest  and  wealthiest  city 
in  the  United  States. 

Who  was  Henry  Hudson  ?  What  did  he  try  to  find  ?  What  did  the  Dutch 
hire  him  to  do  ?  Where  did  he  go  ?  What  did  he  call  the  river  he  discovered  ? 
What  is  said  about  that  river  ?  Tell  what  you  can  of  Hudson's  voyage  up  the  river. 
What  is  said  about  the  Indians  ?  Why  did  Hudson  turn  back  ?  What  did  he  do 
then  ?  What  is  the  river  he  discovered  called  now  ?  What  happened  to  Captain 
Hudson  the  next  year  ?  What  did  the  Dutch  do  ?  What  did  they  name  the 
country  ?  Why  ?  What  did  they  build  there  on  Manhattan  Island  ?  Who  seized 
New  Netherland  ?  What  name  did  they  give  it  ?  What  is  said  of  the  "  Sons  of 
Liberty"  ?  What  would  Hudson  say  if  he  could  see  New  York  City  now  ? 

CAPTAIN    MYLES1    STANDISH 
(1584-1656). 

62.  The  English  Pilgrims  in  Holland ;  why  they  left  Eng 
land. —  When  the  news  of   Henry  Hudson's  discovery  of 
the    Hudson    River  reached    Holland,  many  Englishmen 
were  living  in  the  Dutch  city  of  Leyden.2     These  people 
were  mostly  farmers  who    had    fled   from    Scrooby3  and 
neighboring  villages  in  the  northeast  of  England.     They 
called  themselves  Pilgrims,  because  they  were  wanderers 
from  their  old  homes. 

The  Pilgrims  left  England  because  King  James  would 

1  Myles  (Miles)  :  Standish  himself  wrote  it  Myles. 

2  Leyden  (Li'den)  :  see  map  on  page  40. 

8  Scrooby  (Skroo'bi)  :  see  map  on  page  40. 


4o 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


not  let  them  hold  their  religious  meetings  in  peace.  He 
thought,  as  all  kings  then  did,  that  everybody  in  England 

should  belong  to  the 
same  church  and  wor 
ship  God  in  the  same 
way  that  he  did.1  He 
was  afraid  that  if 
people  were  allowed 
to  go  to  whatever 
church  they  thought 
best  that  it  would 
lead  to  disputes  and 
quarrels,  which  would 

end  by  breaking  his  kingdom  to  pieces.  Quite  a  number 
of  Englishmen,  seeing  that  they  could  not  have  religious 
liberty  at  home,  escaped  with  their  wives  and  children  to 
Holland;  for  there  the  Dutch  were  willing  to  let  them 
have  such  a  church  as  they  wanted. 

63.  Why  the  Pilgrims  wished  to  leave  Holland  and  go  to 
America.  — But  the  Pilgrims  were  not  contented  in  Holland. 
They  saw  that  if  they  staid  in  that  country  their  children 
would  grow  up  to  be  more  Dutch  than  English.  They 
saw,  too,  that  they  could  not  hope  to  get  land  in  Holland. 
They  resolved  therefore  to  go  to  America,  where  they 
could  get  farms  for  nothing,  and  where  their  children 
would  never  forget  the  English  language  or  the  good  old 
English  customs  and  laws.  In  the  wilderness  they  would 
not  only  enjoy  entire  religious  freedom,  but  they  could 
build  up  a  settlement  which  would  be  certainly  their  own. 


1  There  were  some  people  in  England  who  thought  much  as  the  Pilgrims  did  in 
regard  to  religion,  but  who  did  not  then  leave  the  Church  of  England  (as  the  Pil 
grims  did).  They  were  called  Puritans  because  they  insisted  on  making  certain 
changes  in  the  English  mode  of  worship,  or,  as  they  said,  they  wished  to  purify  it. 


CAPTAIN    MYLES    STANDISH. 


64.  The  Pilgrims,  with  Captain  Myles  Standish,  sail  for 
England  and  then  for  America ;  they  reach  Cape  Cod,  and 
choose  a  governor  there.  —  In  1620  a  company  of  Pilgrims 
sailed  for  England  on  their  way  to  America.  Captain 
Myles  Standish,  an  English  soldier,  who  had  fought  in 
Holland,  joined  them.  He  did  not  belong  to  the  Pilgrim 
church,  but  he  had  become  a  great  friend  to  those  who  did. 

About  a  hundred  of  these  people  sailed  from  Plymouth,1 
England,  for  the  New  World,  in  the  ship  Mayflower.  Many 
of  those  who  went  were  children  and  young  people.  The 
Pilgrims  had  a  long,  rough  passage  across  the  Atlantic. 
Toward  the  last  of  Novem 
ber  (1620)  they  saw  land. 
It  was  Cape  Cod,  that  nar 
row  strip  of  sand,  more  than 
sixty  miles  long,  which  looks 
like  an  arm  bent  at  the  el 
bow,  with  a  hand  like  a  half- 
clenched  fist. 

Finding  that  it  would  be 
difficult  to  go  further,  the 
Pilgrims  decided  to  land  and 
explore  the  cape ;  so  the 
Mayflower  entered  Cape 

Cod  Harbor,  inside  the  half-shut  fist,   and  then  came  to 
anchor. 

Before  they  landed,  the  Pilgrims  held  a  meeting  in  the 
cabin,  and  drew  up  an  agreement  in  writing  for  the  gov 
ernment  of  the  settlement.  They  signed  the  agreement, 
and  then  chose  John  Carver  for  governor. 

Many  Puritans  came  to  New  England  with  Governor  Winthrop  in  1630 ;  after  they 
settled  in  America  they  established  independent  churches  like  the  Pilgrims. 
1  Plymouth  (Plim'uth). 


42  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

65.  Washing-day ;  what  Standish  and  his  men  found  on  the 
Cape.  —  On  the  first  Monday  after  they  had  reached  the 
cape,  all  the  women  went  on  shore  to  wash,  and  so  Monday 
has  been  kept  as  washing-day  in  New  England  ever  since. 
Shortly  after  that,  Captain  Myles  Standish,  with  a  number 
of  men,  started  off  to  see  the  country.  They  found  some 


AN  INDIAN  DEER-TRAP.  BRADFORD  CAUGHT. 

Indian  corn  buried  in  the  sand ;  and  a  little  further  on  a 
young  man  named  William  Bradford,  who  afterward  became 
governor,  stepped  into  an  Indian  deer-trap.  It  jerked  him 
up  by  the  leg  in  a  way  that  must  have  made  even  the 
Pilgrims  smile. 

66.  Captain  Standish  and  his  men  set  sail  in  a  boat  for  a 
blue  hill  in  the  west,  and  find  Plymouth  Rock ;  Plymouth 
Harbor ;  landing  from  the  Mayflower.  —  On  clear  days  the 
people  on  board  the  Mayflower,  anchored  in  Cape  Cod 
Harbor,  could  see  a  blue  hill,  on  the  mainland,  in  the  west, 
about  forty  miles  away.  To  that  blue  hill  Standish  and 
some  others  determined  to  go.  Taking  a  sail-boat,  they 
started  off.  A  few  days  later  they  passed  the  hill  which  the 
Indians  called  Manomet,1  and  entered  a  fine  harbor.  There, 
on  December  2ist,  1620,  — the  shortest  day  in  the  year,  — 
they  landed  on  that  famous  stone  which  is  now  known  all 
over  the  world  as  Plymouth  Rock. 

Standish,  with  the  others,  went  back  to  the  Mayflower 
with  a  good  report.  They  had  found  just  what  they  wanted, 
—  an  excellent  harbor  where  ships  from  England  could 

1  Manomet  (Man'o-met). 


CAPTAIN    MYLES    STANDISH. 


43 


come  in ;  a  brook  of  nice  drinking-water ;  and  last  of  all, 
a  piece  of  land  that  was  nearly  free  from  trees,  so  that 
nothing  would  hinder  their  planting  corn  early  in  the 
spring.  Captain  John  Smith  of  Virginia l  had  been  there 
before  them,  and  had  named  the  place  Plymouth  on  his 
map  of  New  England.  The  Pilgrims  liked  the  name,  and 


THE  Mayflower  IN  PLYMOUTH  HARBOR. 

so  made  up  their  minds  to  keep  it.  The  Mayflower  soon 
sailed  for  Plymouth,  and  the  Pilgrims  set  to  work  to  build 
the  log  cabins  of  their  little  settlement. 

67.  Sickness  and  death.  —  During  that  winter  nearly  half 
the  Pilgrims  died.  Captain  Standish  showed  himself  to 
be  as  good  a  nurse  as  he  was  a  soldier.  He,  with  Governor 
Carver  and  their  minister,  Elder  Brewster,  cooked,  washed, 
waited  on  the  sick,  and  did  everything  that  kind  hearts 

1  See  page  29. 


44  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

and  willing  hands  could  to  help  their  suffering  friends. 
But  the  men  who  had  begun  to  build  houses  had  to  stop 
that  work  to  dig  graves.  When  these  graves  were  filled, 
they  were  smoothed  down  flat  so  that  no  prowling  Indian 
should  count  them  and  see  how  few  white  men  there  were 
left. 

68.  Samoset,1  Squanto,2  and  Massasoit 3  visit  the  Pilgrims. 
—  One  day  in  the  spring  the  Pilgrims  were  startled  at  see 
ing  an  Indian  walk  boldly  into  their  little  settlement.     He 
cried  out  in  good  English,  "  Welcome  !    Welcome  !  "    This 
visitor  was  named  Samoset ;  he  had  met  some  sailors  years 
before,  and  had  learned  a  few  English  words  from  them. 

The  next  time  Samoset  came  he  brought  with  him 
another  Indian,  whose  name  was  Squanto.  Squanto  was 
the  only  one  left  of  the  tribe  that  had  once  lived  at  Ply 
mouth.  All  the  rest  had  died  of  a  dreadful  sickness,  or 
plague.  He  had  been  stolen  by  some  sailors  and  carried 
to  England ;  there  he  had  learned  the  language.  After 
his  return  he  had  joined  an  Indian  tribe  that  lived  about 
thirty  miles  further  west.  The  chief  of  that  tribe  was 
named  Massasoit,  and  Squanto  said  that  he  was  coming 
directly  to  visit  the  Pilgrims. 

In  about  an  hour  Massasoit,  with  some  sixty  warriors, 
appeared  on  a  hill  just  outside  the  settlement.     The  Indi 
ans  had  painted  their  faces  in  their  very  gayest  style  — 
black,  red,  and  yellow.     If  paint  could  make  them  hand 
some,  they  were  determined  to  look  their  best. 

69.  Massasoit    and    Governor   Carver   make    a    treaty   of 
friendship  ;  how  Thanksgiving  was  kept ;  what  Squanto  did 
for  the  Pilgrims.  —  Captain  Standish,  attended  by  a  guard 
of   honor,   went  out  and  brought  the  chief  to  Governor 

l  Samoset  (Sam'o-set).         2  Squanto  (Skwon'to).         8  Massasoit  (Mas'sa-soif) 


CAPTAIN    MYLES    STANDISH. 


45 


CAPTAIN  STANDISH  AND  MASSASOIT. 


Carver.  Then  Massasoit  and  the  governor  made  a  solemn 
promise  or  treaty,  in  which  they  agreed  that  the  Indians 
of  his  tribe  and  the  Pil 
grims  should  live  like 
friends  and  brothers,  doing 
all  they  could  to  help  each 
other.  That  promise  was 
kept  for  more  than  fifty 
years ;  it  was  never  bro 
ken  until  long  after  the 
two  men  who  made  it  were 
in  their  graves. 

When  the  Pilgrims  had  their  first  Thanksgiving,  they 
invited  Massasoit  and  his  men  to  come  and  share  it.  The 
Indians  brought  venison  and  other  good  things;  there 
were  plenty  of  wild  turkeys  roasted ;  and  so  they  all  sat 
down  together  to  a  great  dinner,  and  had  a  merry  time  in 
the  wilderness. 

Squanto  was  of  great  help  to  the  Pilgrims.  He  showed 
them  how  to  catch  eels,  where  to  go  fishing,  when  to  plant 
their  corn,  and  how  to  put  a  fish  in  every  hill  to  make  it 
grow  fast. 

After  a  while  he  came  to  live  with  the  Pilgrims.  He 
liked  them  so  much  that  when  the  poor  fellow  died  he 
begged  Governor  Bradford  to  pray  that  he  might  go  to  the 
white  man's  heaven. 

70.  Canonicus  l  dares  Governor  Bradford  to  fight ;  the  pali 
sade  ;  the  fort  and  meeting-house.  —  West  of  where  Massa 
soit  lived,  there  were  some  Indians  on  the  shore  of  Nar- 
ragansett  Bay,2  in  what  is  now  Rhode  Island.  Their 
chief  was  named  Canonicus,  and  he  was  no  friend  to 


1  Canonicus  (Ka-non'i-kus).  2  Narragansett  (Nar'a-gan'set)  :  see  map,  p.  57, 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

Massasoit  or  to  the  Pilgrims.  Canonicus 
thought  he  could  frighten  the  white  men 
away,  so  he  sent  a  bundle  of  sharp,  new  ar 
rows,  tied  round  with  a  rattlesnake  skin,  to 
Governor  Bradford  :  that  meant  that  he  dared 
the  governor  and  his  men  to  come  out  and 
fight.  Governor  Bradford  threw  away  the 
arrows,  and  then  filled  the  snake-skin  up 
to  the  mouth  with  powder  and  ball.  This 
was  sent  back  to  Canonicus.  When  he  saw 
it,  he  was  afraid  to  touch  it,  for  he  knew  that 
Myles  Standish's  bullets  would  whistle  louder 
and  cut  deeper  than  his  Indian  arrows. 

But  though  the  Pilgrims  did  not  believe 
that  Canonicus  would  attack  them,  they 
thought  it  best  to  build  a  very  high,  strong 
fence,  called  a  palisade,  round  the  town. 

They  also  built  a  log  fort  on  one  of 
the  hills,  and  used  the  lower  part  of  the 
fort  for  a  church.  Every  Sunday  all  the 
people,  with  Captain  Standish  at  the  head, 
marched  to  their  meeting-house,  where  a 
man  stood  on  guard  outside.  Each  Pil 
grim  carried  his  gun,  and  set  it  down  near 
him.  With  one  ear  he  listened  sharply  to 
the  preacher;  with  the  other  he  listened 
just  as  sharply  for  the  cry,  Indians!  Indians! 
But  the  Indians  never  came. 

71.  The  new  settlers  ;  trouble  with  the  Indians 
in  their  neighborhood ;  Captain  Standish's  fight 
with  the  savages.  —  By  and  by  more  emigrants 
came  from  England  and  settled  about  twenty- 
five  miles  north  of  Plymouth,  at  what  is  now 


CAPTAIN    MYLES    STANDISH. 


47 


called  Weymouth.  The  Indians  in  that  neighborhood  did 
not  like  these  new  settlers,  and  they  made  up  their  minds 
to  come  upon  them  suddenly  and  murder  them. 

Governor  Bradford  sent  Captain  Standish  with  a  few 
men,  to  see  how  great  the  danger  was.  He  found  the 
Indians  very  bold.  One  of  them  came  up  to  him,  whet 
ting  a  long  knife.  He  held  it  up,  to  show  how  sharp  it 
was,  and  then  patting  it,  he 
said,  "  By  and  by,  it  shall  eat, 
but  not  speak."  Presently 
another  Indian  came  up.  He 
was  a  big  fellow,  much  larger 
and  stronger  than  Standish. 
He,  too,  had  a  long  knife,  as 
keen  as  a  razor.  "  Ah,"  said 
he  to  Standish,  "so  this  is 
the  mighty  captain  the  white 
men  have  sent  to  destroy 
us !  He  is  a  little  man ;  let  him  go  and  work  with  the 
women."  l 

The  captain's  blood  was  on  fire  with  rage ;  but  he  said 
not  a  word.  His  time  had  not  yet  come.  The  next  day 
the  Pilgrims  and  the  Indians  met  in  a  log  cabin.  Standish 
made  a  sign  to  one  of  his  men,  and  he  shut  the  door  fast. 
Then  the  captain  sprang  like  a  tiger  at  the  big  savage 
who  had  laughed  at  him,  and  snatching  his  long  knife 
from  him,  he  plunged  it  into  his  heart.  A  hand-to- 
hand  fight  followed  between  the  white  men  and  the  Ind 
ians.  The  Pilgrims  gained  the  victory,  and  carried  back 


1  See  Longfellow's  The  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish.  This  quotation  is  truth 
ful  in  its  rendering  of  the  spirit  of  the  words  used  by  the  Indian  in  his  insulting 
speech  to  Standish ;  it  should  be  understood,  however,  that  the  poem  does  not 
always  adhere  closely  either  to  the  chronology,  or  to  the  exact  facts,  of  history. 


THE  PALISADE  BUILT  ROUND  PLYMOUTH. 


48  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

the  head  of  the  Indian  chief  in  triumph  to  Plymouth 
Captain  Standish's  bold  action  saved  both  of  the  English 
settlements  from  destruction. 

72.  What  else  Myles  Standish  did ;  his  death.  —  But  Stand- 
ish  did  more  things  for  the  Pilgrims  than  fight  for  them ; 
for  he  went  to  England,  bought  goods  for  them,  and  bor 
rowed  money  to  help  them. 

He  lived  to  be  an  old  man.  At  his  death  he  left,  among 
other  things,  three  well-worn  Bibles  and  three  good  guns. 
In  those  days,  the  men  who  read  the  Bible  most  were 
those  who  fought  the  hardest. 

Near  Plymouth  there  is  a  high  hill  called  Captain's 
Hill.  That  was  where  Standish  made  his  home  during 
the  last  of  his  life.  A  granite  monument,  over  a  hundred 


MYLES  STANDISH'S  KETTLE,  SWORD,  COPY  OF  MYLES  STANDISH'S 

AND  PEWTER  DISH.  SIGNATURE. 

feet  high,  stands  on  top  of  the  hill.  On  it  is  a  statue  of 
the  brave  captain  looking  toward  the  sea.  He  was  one 
of  the  makers  of  America. 

73.  Governor  John  Winthrop  founds l  Boston.  —  Ten  years 
after  the  Pilgrims  landed  at  Plymouth,  a  large  company 
of  English  people  under  the  leadership  of  Governor  John 
Winthrop  came  to  New  England.  They  were  called  Puri 
tans,2  and  they,  too,  were  seeking  that  religious  freedom 
which  was  denied  them  in  the  old  country.  One  of  the 
vessels  which  brought  over  these  new  settlers  was  named 

1  Founds:  begins  to  build. 

2  See  note  on  page  40. 


CAPTAIN    MYLES    STANDISH.  49 

the  Mayflower.     She  may  have  been  the  very  ship  which 
in  1620  brought  the  Pilgrims  to  these  shores. 

Governor  Winthrop's  company  named  the  place  where 
they  settled  Boston,  in  grateful  remembrance  of  the  beau 
tiful  old  city  of  Boston,1  England,  from  which  some  of  the 
chief  emigrants  came.  The  new  settlement  was  called 
the  Massachusetts  Bay2  Colony,3  Massachusetts  being  the 
Indian  name  for  the  Blue  Hills,  near  Boston.  The 
Plymouth  Colony  was  now  often  called  the  Old  Colony, 
because  it  had  been  settled  first.  After  many  years,  these 
two  colonies  were  united,  and  still  later  they  became  the 
state  of  Massachusetts. 

74.  How  other  Hew  England  colonies  grew  up ;  the  Revo 
lution.  — :  By  the  time  Governor  Winthrop  arrived,  English 
settlements  had  been  made  in   Maine,  New  Hampshire, 
and  later  (1724),  in  the  country  which  afterward  became 
the  state  of  Vermont.    Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  were 
first  settled  by  emigrants  who  went  from  Massachusetts. 

When  the  Revolution  broke  out,  the  people  throughout 
New  England  took  up  arms  in  defence  of  their  rights. 
The  first  blood  of  the  war  was  shed  on  the  soil  of  Massa 
chusetts,  near  Boston. 

75.  Summary. — The  Pilgrims  landed  at  Plymouth,  New 
England,  in  1620.     One  of  the  chief  men  who  came  with 
them  was  Captain  Myles  Standish.     Had  it  not  been  for 
his  help,  the  Indians  might  have  destroyed  the  settlement. 
In  1630,  Governor  John  Winthrop,  with  a  large  company 
of  emigrants  from  England,  settled  Boston.     Near  Boston 
the  first  battle  of  the  Revolution  was  fought. 

1  Boston,  England;  see  map  on  page  40. 

2  Massachusetts  Bay ;  see  map  on  page  57. 

8  Colony:  here  a  company  of  settlers  who  came  to  America  from  England,  and 
who  were  subject  to  the  king  of  England,  as  all  the  English  settlers  of  America  were 
until  the  Revolution. 


5o  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

Why  did  some  Englishmen  in  Holland  call  themselves  Pilgrims  ?  Why  had 
they  left  England  ?  Why  did  they  now  wish  to  go  to  America  ?  Who  was  Myles 
Standish  ?  From  what  place  in  England,  and  in  what  ship,  did  the  Pilgrims  sail  ? 
What  land  did  they  first  see  in  America  ?  What  did  they  do  at  Cape  Cod  Harbor  ? 
What  did  the  Pilgrims  do  on  the  Cape  ?  Where  did  they  land  on  December  2ist, 
1620  ?  What  happened  during  the  winter  ?  What  is  said  of  Samoset  ?  What 
about  Squanto  ?  What  about  Massasoit  ?  What  did  Massasoit  and  Governor 
Carver  do  ?  What  about  the  first  Thanksgiving  ?  What  is  said  about  Canonicus 
and  Governor  Bradford  ?  What  did  the  Pilgrims  build  to  protect  them  from  the 
Indians  ?  What  is  said  about  Weymouth  ?  What  did  Myles  Standish  do  there  ? 
What  else  did  Myles  Standish  do  besides  fight  ?  What  is  said  of  his  death  ? 
What  did  Governor  John  Winthrop  do  ?  What  did  the  people  of  New  England 
do  in  the  Revolution  ?  Where  was  the  first  blood  shed  ? 


LORD    BALTIMORE 
(1580-1632). 

76.  Lord  Baltimore's  settlement  in  Newfoundland ;  how 
Catholics  were  then  treated  in  England.  —  While  Captain 
Myles  Standish  was  helping  build  up  Plymouth,  Lord 
Baltimore,  an  English  nobleman,  was  trying  to  make  a 
settlement  on  the  cold,  foggy  island  of  Newfoundland. 

Lord  Baltimore  had  been  brought  up  a  Protestant,  but 
had  become  a  Catholic.  At  that  time,  Catholics  were 
treated  very  cruelly  in  England.  They  were  ordered  by 
law  to  attend  the  Church  of  England.  They  did  not  like 
that  church  any  better  than  the  Pilgrims  did ;  but  if  they 
failed  to  attend  it,  they  had  to  take  their  choice  between 
paying  a  large  sum  of  money  or  going  to  prison. 

Lord  Baltimore  hoped  to  make  a  home  for  himself  and 
for  other  English  Catholics  in  the  wilderness  of  New 
foundland,  where  there  would  be  no  one  to  trouble  them. 
But  the  unfortunate  settlers  were  fairly  frozen  out.  They 
had  winter  a  good  share  of  the  year,  and  fog  all  of  it. 
They  could  raise  nothing,  because,  as  one  man  said,  the 
soil  was  either  rock  or  swamp :  the  rock  was  as  hard  as 


LORD    BALTIMORE. 


iron ;   the  swamp  was  so  deep  that  you  could  not  touch 
bottom  with  a  ten-foot  pole. 

77.  The  king  of  England  gives  Lord  Baltimore  part  of  Vir 
ginia,  and  names  it  Maryland;  what  Lord  Baltimore  paid  for 
it.  —  King  Charles  the  First  of  England  was  a  good  friend 
to  Lord  Baltimore ;  and  when  the  settlement  in  Newfound 
land  was  given  up,  he  made  him  a  present  of  an  immense 
three-cornered  piece  of  land  in  America.  This  piece  was 
cut  out  of  Virginia,  north  of  the  Potomac l  River. 


The  king's  wife,  who  was  called  Queen  Mary,  was  a 
French  Catholic.  In  her  honor,  Charles  named  the  country 
he  had  given  Lord  Baltimore,  Mary  Land,  or  Maryland. 
He  could  not  have  chosen  a  better  name,  because  Mary 
land  was  to  be  a  shelter  for  many  English  people  who 
believed  in  the  same  religion  that  the  queen  did. 

All  that  Lord  Baltimore  was 
to  pay  for  Maryland,  with  its 
twelve  thousand  square  miles 
of  land  and  water,  was  two  In 
dian  arrows.  These  he  agreed 
to  send  every  spring  to  the 
royal  palace  of  Windsor2  Cas-  >?'  to£sgS5&3£'&  L*- 

,1  T  ,  •-*'   Xy*i**JMKjB»/.'?" 

tie,  near  London.  ^gqSg*g= 

The  arrows  would  be  worth 
nothing  whatever  to  the  king  ; 
but  they  were  sent  as  a  kind  of 


yearly   rent.      They 


1  Potomac  (Po-to'mak)  :  see  map,  p.  no.          2  Windsor  (Win'zor). 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


showed  that,  though  Lord  Baltimore  had  the  use  of  Mary 
land,  and  could  do  pretty  much  as  he  pleased  with  it,  still 
the  king  did  not  give  up  all  control  of  it.  In  Virginia  and 
in  New  England  the  king  had  granted  all  land  to  com 
panies  of  persons,  and  he  had  been  particular  to  tell  them 
just  what  they  must  or  must  not  do  ;  but  he  gave  Maryland 
to  one  man  only.  More  than  this,  he  promised  to  let  Lord 
Baltimore  have  his  own  way  in  everything,  so  long  as  he 
made  no  laws  in  Maryland  which  should  be  contrary  to 
the  laws  of  England.  So  Lord  Baltimore  had  greater 
privileges  than  any  other  holder  of  land  in  America  at 
that  time. 

78.   Lord   Baltimore    dies ;    his    son    sends    emigrants    to 

Maryland ;  the  land 
ing  ;  the  Indians ;  St. 
Mary's.  —  Lord  Bal 
timore  died  before  he 
could  get  ready  to 
come  to  America. 
His  eldest  son  then 
became  Lord  Balti 
more.  He  sent  over 
a  number  of  emi 
grants  ;  part  of  them 
were  Catholics,  and 
part  were  Protes 
tants  :  all  of  them 
were  to  have  equal 
rights  in  Maryland. 
In  the  spring  of  1634, 

THE  LANDING  IN  MARYLAND.  .  i        i        j     j 

these    people   landed 

on  a  little  island  near  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac  River. 
There  they  cut  down  a  tree,  and  made  a  large  cross  of 


LORD    BALTIMORE. 


53 


it ;    then,    kneeling   round   that  cross,  they  all   joined   in 
prayer  to  God  for  their  safe  journey. 

A  little  later,  they  landed  on  the  shore  of  the  river. 
There  they  met  Indians.  Under  a  huge  mulberry-tree 
they  bargained  with  the  Indians  for  a  place  to  build  a 
town,  and  paid  for  the  land  in  hatchets,  knives,  and 
beads. 

The  Indians  were  greatly  astonished  at  the  size  of  the 
ship  in  which  the  white  men  came.  They  thought  that  it 
was  made  like  their  canoes,  out  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree  hol 
lowed  out,  and  they  wondered  where  the  English  could 
have  found  a  tree  big  enough  to  make  it. 

The  emigrants  named  their  settlement  St.  Mary's,  be 
cause  they  had  landed  on  a  day  kept 
sacred  to  the  Virgin  Mary.1  The 
Indians  gave  up  one  of  their  largest 
wigwams  to  Father  White,  one  of 
the  priests  who  had  come  over,  and 
he  made  a  church  of  it.  It  was  the 
first  English  Catholic  Church  which 
was  opened  in  America. 

The  Indians  and  the  settlers  lived 
and  worked  together  side  by  side.  The  red  men  showed 
the  emigrants  how  to  hunt  in  the  forest,  and  the  Indian 
women  taught  the  white  women  how  to  make  hominy,  and 
to  bake  johnny-cake  before  the  open  fire. 

79.  Maryland  the  home  of  religious  liberty.  —  Maryland 
was  different  from  the  other  English  colonies  in  America, 
because  there,  and  there  only,  every  Christian,  whether 
Catholic  or  Protestant,  had  the  right  to  worship  God  in 
his  own  way.  In  that  humble  little  village  of  St.  Mary's, 
made  up  of  thirty  or  forty  log  huts  and  wigwams  in  the 

1  March  25th :  Annunciation  or  Lady  Day. 


54  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

woods,  "  religious  liberty  had  its  only  home  in  the  wide 
world." 

But  more  than  this,  Lord  Baltimore  generously  invited 
people  who  had  been  driven  out  of  the  other  settlements 
on  account  of  their  religion  to  come  and  live  in  Maryland. 
He  gave  a  hearty  welcome  to  all,  whether  they  thought  as 
he  did  or  not.  Thus  he  showed  that  he  was  a  noble  man 
by  nature  as  well  as  a  nobleman  by  name. 

80.  Maryland  falls  into  trouble ;  the  city  of  Baltimore  built. 
—  But  this  happy  state  of  things  did  not  last  long.     Some 
of  the  people  of  Virginia  were  very  angry  because  the  king 
had  given  Lord  Baltimore  part  of  what  they  thought  was 
their  land.      They  quarrelled  with  the  new  settlers  and 
made  them  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 

Then  worse  things  happened.  Men  went  to  Maryland 
and  undertook  to  drive  out  the  Catholics.  In  some  cases 
they  acted  in  a  very  shameful  manner  toward  Lord  Balti 
more  and  his  friends  ;  among  other  things,  they  put  Father 
White  in  irons  and  sent  him  back  to  England  as  a  prisoner. 
Lord  Baltimore  had  spent  a  great  deal  of  money  in  build 
ing  up  the  settlement,  but  his  right  to  the  land  was  taken 
away  from  him  for  a  time,  and  all  who  dared  to  defend 
him  were  badly  treated. 

St.  Mary's  never  grew  to  be  much  of  a  place,  but  not 
quite  a  hundred  years  after  the  English  landed  there  a 
new  and  beautiful  city  was  begun  (1/29)  in  Maryland.  It 
was  named  Baltimore,  in  honor  of  that  Lord  Baltimore 
who  sent  out  the  first  emigrants.  When  the  Revolution 
ary  War  broke  out,  the  citizens  of  Baltimore  showed  that 
they  were  not  a  bit  behind  the  other  colonies  of  America 
in  their  spirit  of  independence. 

81.  Summary.  —  King  Charles  the  First  of  England  gave 
Lord  Baltimore,  an  English  Catholic,  a  part  of  Virginia  and 


ROGER    WILLIAMS. 


55 


named  it  Maryland,  in  honor  of  his  wife,  Queen  Mary.  A 
company  of  emigrants  came  out  to  Maryland  in  1634.  It 
was  the  first  settlement  in  America  in  which  all  Christian 
people  had  entire  liberty  to  worship  God  in  whatever  way 
they  thought  right.  That  liberty  they  owed  to  Lord  Balti 
more. 

Who  was  Lord  Baltimore,  and  what  did  he  try  to  do  in  Newfoundland  ?  How 
were  Catholics  then  treated  in  England  ?  What  did  the  king  of  England  give  Lord 
Baltimore  in  America  ?  What  did  the  king  name  the  country  ?  What  was  Lord 
Baltimore  to  pay  for  Maryland  ?  What  did  the  king  promise  Lord  Baltimore  ? 
What  did  Lord  Baltimore's  son  do?  When  and  where  did  the  emigrants  land? 
What  did  they  call  the  place?  What  is  said  about  the  Indians?  Of  what  was 
Maryland  the  home  ?  Why  did  some  of  the  people  of  Virginia  trouble  them  ? 
What  is  said  of  the  city  of  Baltimore  ?  What  is  said  of  the  Revolution  ? 


ROGER    WILLIAMS 
(1600-1684). 

82.  Roger  Williams  comes  to  Boston ;  lie  preaches  in  Salem 
and  in  Plymouth;  his 
friendship  for  the  Indi 
ans.  —  Shortly  after  Gov 
ernor  John  Winthrop 
and  his  company  set 
tled  Boston,1  a  young 
minister  named  Roger 
Williams  came  over 
from  England  to  join 
them. 

Mr.  Williams  soon  be 
came    a    great    friend    to  THE  CHURCH  w  WHICH  ROGER  WILLIAMS  PREACHEP 
,,         T     ,.  i         i  M  IN  SALEM.    IT  is  STILL  STANDING. 

the  Indians,  and    while 


l  See  page  48. 


56  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

he  preached  at  Salem,1  near  Boston,  and  at  Plymouth, 
he  came  to  know  many  of  them.  He  took  pains  to 
learn  their  language,  and  he  spent  a  great  deal  of  time 
talking  with  the  chief  Massasoit2  and  his  men,  in  their 
dirty,  smoky  wigwams.  He  made  the  savages  feel  that, 
as  he  said,  his  whole  heart's  desire  was  to  do  them  good. 
For  this  reason  they  were  always  glad  to  see  him  and 
ready  to  help  him.  A  time  came,  as  we  shall  presently 
see,  when  they  were  able  to  do  quite  as  much  for  him 
as  he  could  for  them. 

83.  Who  owned  the  greater  part  of  America?  what  the  king- 
of  England  thought ;  what  Roger  Williams  thought  and  said. 
—  The  company  that  had  settled  Boston  held  the  land  by 
permission  of  the  king  of  England.     He  considered  that 
most  of  the  land  in  America  belonged  to  him,  because 
John  Cabot3  had  discovered  it. 

But  Roger  Williams  said  that  the  king  had  no  right 
to  the  land  unless  he  bought  it  of  the  Indians,  who  were 
living  here  when  the  English  came. 

Now  the  people  of  Massachusetts  were  always  quite 
willing  to  pay  the  Indians  a  fair  price  for  whatever  land 
they  wanted ;  but  many  of  them  were  afraid  to  have  Mr. 
Williams  preach  and  write  as  he  did.  They  believed  that 
if  they  allowed  him  to  go  on  speaking  out  so  boldly  against 
the  king  the  English  monarch  would  get  so  angry  that  he 
would  take  away  Massachusetts  from  them  and  give  it 
to  a  new  company.  In  that  case,  those  who  had  settled 
here  would  lose  everything.  For  this  reason  the  people 
of  Boston  tried  to  make  the  young  minister  agree  to  keep 
silent  on  this  subject. 

84.  A   constable   is   sent   to   arrest    Roger   Williams ;    he 
escapes  to  the  woods,  and  goes  to  Mount  Hope.  —  But  Mr. 

1  Salem  (Sa'lem).          2  See  page  44.          8  See  page  14. 


ROGER    WILLIAMS. 


57 


Williams  was  not  one  of  the  kind  to  keep  silent.  Then 
the  chief  men  of  Boston  sent  a  constable  down  to  Salem 
with  orders  to  seize  him  and  send  him  back  to  England. 
When  he  heard  that  the  constable  was  after  him,  Mr. 
Williams  slipped  quietly  out  of  his  house  and  escaped  to 
the  woods. 

There  was  a  heavy  depth  of  snow  on  the  ground,  but 
the  young  man  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  go  to  his 
old  friend  Massasoit,  and 
ask  him  to  help  him  in  his 
trouble. 

Massasoit  lived  near  Mount 
Hope,  in  what  is  now 
Rhode  Island,  about  eighty 
miles  southwest  from  Salem. 
There  were  no  roads  through 
the  woods,  and  it  was  a  long, 
dreary  journey  to  make  on 
foot,  but  Mr.  Williams  did 
not  hesitate.  He  took  a 
hatchet  to  chop  fire-wood,  a 
flint  and  steel  to  strike  fire  with,  —  for  in  those  days  peo 
ple  had  no  matches,  —  and,  last  of  all,  a 
pocket-compass  to  aid  him  in  finding  his 
way  through  the  thick  forest. 

All  day  he  waded  wearily  on  through 
t  Striking  fire  with  flint    the  deep   snow,   only   stopping  now  and 

sparkstet  caugh!    then  to  rest  or  to  look  at  his   compass 

on  some  old,  half-    an(j  make  sure  that  he  was  going  in  the 

burnt  rag,  and  were 

then  blown  to  a    right  direction.    At  night  he  would  gather 

wood  enough  to  make  a  little  fire  to  warm 

himself  or  to  melt  some  snow  for  drink.     Then  he  would 

cut  down  a  few  boughs  for  a  bed,  or,  if  he  was  lucky 


Map  showing  Roger  Williams's  route  trom 
Salem  to  Mount  Hope. 


THE    BEGINNER  S   AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


enough  to  find  a  large,  hollow  tree,  he  would  creep  into 
that.     There  he  would  fall  asleep,  while  listening  to  the 
howling  of  the  wind  or  to  the  fiercer  howl 
ing  of  the  hungry  wolves  prowling  about 
the  woods. 

At  length,  after  much  suffering  from 
cold  and  want  of  food,  he  managed  to 
reach  Massasoit's  wigwam.  There  the 
big-hearted  Indian  chief  gave  him  a  warm 
welcome.  He  took  him  into  his  poor  cabin 
and  kept  him  till  spring  —  there  was  no 

ROGER  WILLIAMS  WAD-    -i  11-11,1  AII.II         T      i*  IM       i 

ING   THROUGH   THE  board  bill  to  pay.     All  the  Indians  liked 

the  young  minister,  and  even  Canonicus,1 

that  savage  chief  of  a  neighboring  tribe,  who  had  dared 

Governor  Bradford  to  fight,  said  that  he  "  loved  him  as  his 

own  son." 

85,  Roger  Williams  at  Seekonk;2  "What  cheer,  friend?" 
—  When  the  warm  days  came,  in  the  spring  of  1636,  Mr. 
Williams  began  building  a  log  hut  for  himself  at  Seekonk, 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Seekonk  River.  But  he  was  told 
that  his  cabin  stood  on  ground 
owned  by  the  people  of  Mas 
sachusetts ;  so  he,  with  a  few 
friends  who  had  joined  him,  took 
a  canoe  and  paddled  down 
stream  to  find  a  new  place  to 
build. 

"What   cheer,    friend?    what 
cheer  ? "   shouted  some   Indians 
who  were  standing  on  a  rock  on 
the  western  bank  of  the  river.     That  was  the  Indian  way 
of  saying  How  do  you  do,  and  just  then  Roger  Williams 


1  Canonicus :  see  page  45. 


2  Seekonk  (See'konk). 


ROGER    WILLIAMS.  59 

was  right  glad  to  hear  it.  He  landed  on  what  is  now 
called  "What  Cheer  Rock,"1  and  had  a  talk  with  the  red 
men.  They  told  him  that  there  was  a  fine  spring  of  water 
round  the  point  of  land  a  little  further  down.  He  went 
there,  and  liked  the  spot  so  much  that  he  decided  to  stop. 
His  friend  Canonicus  owned  the  land,  and  he  gladly  let 
him  have  what  he  needed.  Roger  Williams  believed  that 
a  kind  Providence  had  guided  him  to  this  pleasant  place, 
and  for  this  reason  he  named  it  PROVIDENCE. 

Providence  was  the  first  settlement  made  in  America 
which  set  its  doors  wide  open  to  every  one  who  wished  to 
come  and  live  there.  Not  only  all  Christians,  but  Jews, 
and  even  men  who  went  to  no  church  whatever,  could  go 
there  and  be  at  peace.  This  great  and  good  work  was 
done  by  Roger  Williams.  Providence  grew  in  time  to  be 
the  chief  city  in  the  state  of  Rhode  Island.  When  the 
Revolution  began,  every  man  and  boy  in  the  state,  from 
sixteen  to  sixty,  stood  ready  to  fight  for  liberty. 

86.  Summary.  —  Roger  Williams,  a  young  minister  of 
Salem,  Massachusetts,  declared  that  the  Indians,  and  not 
the  king  of  England,  owned  the  land  in  America.  The 
governor  of  Massachusetts  was  afraid  that  if  Mr.  Williams 
kept  on  saying  these  things  the  king  would  hear  of  it 
and  would  take  away  the  land  held  by  the  people  of  Bos 
ton  and  the  other  settlements.  He  therefore  sent  a  con 
stable  to  arrest  the  young  minister  and  put  him  on  board  a 
ship  going  back  to  England.  When  Mr.  Williams  knew 
this,  he  fled  to  the  Indian  chief,  Massasoit.  In  1636  Roger 
Williams  began  building  Providence.  Providence  was  the 
first  settlement  in  America  which  offered  a  home  to  all 
men  without  asking  them  anything  whatever  about  their 
religious  belief. 

1  "  What  Cheer  Rock  "  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  city  of  Providence. 


6o  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

Who  was  Roger  Williams  ?  What  is  said  about  him  and  the  Indians  ?  Who 
did  Mr.  Williams  think  first  owned  the  land  in  America  ?  How  did  many  of  the 
people  of  Massachusetts  feel  «about  Mr.  Williams  ?  What  did  the  chief  men  of 
Boston  do  ?  What  did  Mr.  Williams  do  ?  Describe  his  journey  to  Mount  Hope. 
What  did  Massasoit  do  for  Mr.  Williams  ?  What  did  Mr.  Williams  do  at  See- 
konk  ?  What  happened  after  that  ?  Why  did  he  name  the  settlement  Provi 
dence  ?  What  is  said  of  Providence  ?  What  about  the  Revolution  ? 


KING    PHILIP 

(Time  of  the  Indian  War,  1675-1676). 

87.  Death  of  Massasoit ;  Wamsutta l  and  Philip  ;  Wamsutta's 
sudden  death.  —  When  the  Indian  chief  Massasoit2  died,  the 
people  of  Plymouth  lost  one  of  their  best  friends.     Massa 
soit  left  two  sons,  one  named  Wamsutta,  who  became  chief 
in  his  father's  place,  and  the  other  called  Philip.     They 
both  lived  near  Mount  Hope,  in  Rhode  Island. 

The  governor  of  Plymouth  heard  that  Wamsutta  was 
stirring  up  the  Indians  to  make  war  on  the  whites,  and  he 
sent  for  the  Indian  chief  to  come  to  him  and  give  an 
account  of  himself.  Wamsutta  went,  but  on  his  way  back 
he  suddenly  fell  sick,  and  soon  after  he  reached  home  he 
died.  His  young  wife  was  a  woman  who  was  thought  a 
great  deal  of  by  her  tribe,  and  she  told  them  that  she 
felt  sure  the  white  people  had  poisoned  her  husband  in 
order  to  get  rid  of  him.  This  was  not  true,  but  the  Indi 
ans  believed  it. 

88.  Philip  becomes  chief;    why  he  hated  the  white  men; 
how  the  white  men  had  got  possession  of  the  Indian  lands.  — 
Philip  now  became  chief.    He  called  himself  "  King  Philip." 
His  palace  was  a  wigwam  made  of  bark.     On  great  occa 
sions  he  wore  a  bright  red  blanket  and  a  kind  of  crown 
made  of  a  broad  belt  ornamented  with  shells.     King  Philip 

l  Wamsutta  (Wam-sut'ta).  2  Massasoit :  see  page  44. 


KING    PHILIP.  6l 

hated  the  white  people  because,  in  the  first  place,  he  be 
lieved  that  they  had  murdered  his  brother;  and  next, 
because  he  saw  that  they  were  growing  stronger  in  num 
bers  every  year,  while  the  Indians  were  becoming  weaker. 


.--•  ,*~  •:  '  Jh f  •'       '"ilfcS      '  '?^. .  iHi^^K/'l 

g^^pH    figlr^-  •r^<^^'  • •      _^»t:;'q^^1i 

":  n££ioQi™oDJCy 


^ 

THE  BELT  WHICH  KING  PHILIP  WORE  FOR  A  CROWN. 

When  the  Pilgrims  landed  at  Plymouth,  Massasoit, 
Philip's  father,  held  all  the  country  from  Cape  Cod  back 
to  the  eastern  shores  of  Narragansett  Bay ;  that  is,  a  strip 
about  thirty  miles  wide.  The  white  settlers  bought  a  small 
piece  of  this  land.  After  a  while  they  bought  more,  and 
so  they  kept  on  until  in  about  fifty  years  they  got  nearly 
all  of  what  Massasoit's  tribe  had  once  owned.  The  In 
dians  had  nothing  left  but  two  little  necks  of  land,  which 
were  nearly  surrounded  by  the  waters  of  Narragansett  Bay. 
Here  they  felt  that  they  were  shut  up  almost  like  prisoners, 
and  that  the  white  men  watched  everything  that  they 
did. 

89.  How  King  Philip  felt ;  signs  of  the  coming  war ;  the 
"  Praying  Indians  "  ;  the  murder.  —  King  Philip  was  a  very 
proud  man — quite  as  proud,  in  fact,  as  the  king  of  Eng 
land.  He  could  not  bear  to  see  his  people  losing  power. 
He  said  to  himself,  if  the  Indians  do  not  rise  and  drive 
out  the  white  men,  then  the  white  men  will  certainly  drive 
out  the  Indians.  Most  of  the  Indians  now  had  guns,  and 
could  use  them  quite  as  well  as  the  whites  could ;  so  Philip 
thought  that  it  was  best  to  fight. 


62 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


The  settlers  felt  that  the  war  was  coming.  Some  of 
them  fancied  that  they  saw  the  figure  of  an  Indian  bow  in 
the  clouds.  Others  said  that  they  heard  sounds  like  guns 
fired  off  in  the  air,  and  horsemen  riding  furiously  up  and 
down  in  the  sky,  as  if  getting  ready  for  battle. 

But  though  many  Indians  now  hated  the  white  settlers, 
this  was  not  true  of  all.  A  minister,  named  John  Eliot, 
had  persuaded  some  of  the  red  men  near  Boston  to  give 
up  their  religion,  and  to  try  to  live  like  the  white  people. 
These  were  called  "  Praying  Indians."  One  of  them 
who  knew  King  Philip  well  told  the  settlers  that  Philip's 
warriors  were  grinding  their  hatchets  sharp  for  war.  Soon 
after,  this  "  Praying  Indian  "  was  found  murdered.  The 
white  people  accused  three  of  Philip's  men  of  having  killed 
him.  They  were  tried,  found  guilty,  and  hanged. 

90.  Beginning  of  the  war  at  Swansea ; l  burning  of  Brook- 
field.  — Then  Philip's  warriors  began  the  war  in  the  summer 

of  1675.  Some  white 
settlers  were  going  home 
from  church  in  the  town 
of  Swansea,  Massachu 
setts;  they  had  been  to 
pray  that  there  might 
be  no  fighting.  As  they 
walked  along,  talking 
together,  two  guns  were 
fired  out  of  the  bushes. 
One  of  the  white  men 
fell  dead  in  the  road,  and 
another  was  badly  hurt. 
The  shots  were  fired  by  Indians.  This  was  the  way  they 
always  fought  when  they  could.  They  were  not  cowards, 

1  Swansea  (Swon'ze). 


KING    PHILIP. 


but  they  did  not  come  out  "boldly,  but  would  fire  from 
behind  trees  and  rocks.  Often  a  white  man  would  be 
killed  without  even  seeing  who  shot  him. 

At  first  the  fighting  was  mainly  in  those  villages  of 
Plymouth  Colony  which  were  nearest  Narragansett  Bay  ; 
then  it  spread  to  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut  River 
and  the  neighborhood.  Deerfield,  Springfield,  Brookfield,1 
Groton,2  and  many  other  places  in  Massachusetts  were 
attacked.  The  Indians  would  creep  up  stealthily  in  the 
night,  burn  the  houses,  carry  off  the  women  and  children 
prisoners  if  they  could, 
kill  the  rest  of  the  in 
habitants,  take  their 
scalps  home  and  hang 
them  up  in  their  wig 
wams. 

At  Brookfield  the  set 
tlers  left  their  houses, 
and  gathered  in  one 
strong  house  for  de 
fence.  The  Indians 
burned  all  the  houses 
but  that  one,  and  did 
their  best  to  burn  that, 
too.  They  dipped  rags  in  brimstone,  such  as  we  make 
matches  of,  fastened  them  to  the  points  of  their  arrows, 
set  fire  to  them,  and  then  shot  the  blazing  arrows  into 
the  shingles  of  the  roof.  When  the  Indians  saw  that  the 
shingles  had  caught,  and  were  beginning  to  flame  up,  they 
danced  for  joy,  and  roared  like  wild  bulls.  But  the  men 
in  the  house  managed  to  put  out  the  fire  on  the  roof. 
Then  the  savages  got  a  cart,  filled  it  with  hay,  set  it  on 


1  See  map  on  page  62. 


2  Groton  (Graw'ton). 


64  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

fire,  and  pushed  it  up  against  the  house.  This  time  they 
thought  that  they  should  certainly  burn  the  white  people 
out ;  but  just  then  a  heavy  shower  came  up,  and  put  out 
the  fire.  A  little  later,  some  white  soldiers  marched  into 
the  village,  and  saved  the  people  in  the  house. 

91.  The  fight  at  Hadley ;  what  Colonel1  Goffe  2  did.  —  At 
Hadley,  the  people  were  in  the  meeting-house  when  the 
terrible    Indian    war-whoop 3   rang    through    the   village. 
The  savages  drove  back  those  who  dared  to  go  out  against 
them,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  village  must  be  destroyed. 
Suddenly  a  white-haired  old  man,  sword  in  hand,  appeared 
among  the  settlers.     No  one  knew  who  he  was;  but  he 
called  to  them  to  follow  him,  as  a  captain  calls  to  his  men, 
and  they  obeyed   him.     The    astonished    Indians   turned 
and  ran.     When,  after  all  was  over,  the  whites  looked  for 
their   brave   leader,   he   had  gone;    they  never  saw  him 
again.     Many  thought  that  he  was  an  angel  who  had  been 
sent  to  save  them.     But  the  angel  was  Colonel  Goffe,  an 
Englishman,  who  was  one  of  the  judges  who  had  sentenced 
King   Charles  the  First  to  death   during  a  great  war  in 
England.     He  had  escaped  to  America;  and,  luckily  for 
the  people  of  Hadley,  he  was  hiding  in  the  house  of  a 
friend  in  that  village  when  the  Indians  attacked  it. 

92.  How  a  woman  drove  off  an  Indian.  —  In  this  dreadful 
war  with  the  savages  there  were  times  when  even  the 
women  had  to  fight  for  their  lives.     In  one  case,  a  woman 
had  been  left  in  a  house  with  two  young  children.     She 
heard   a  noise   at   the   window,   and  looking  up,   saw  an 
Indian   trying  to  raise  the  sash.     Quick  as  thought,  she 
clapped  the  two  little  children  under  two  large  brass  kettles 

1  Colonel  (kur'nel)  :  the  chief  officer  of  a  regiment  of  soldiers. 

2  Goffe  (Gof)  :  and  List  of  Books  on  page  222. 

8  War-whoop  (war-hoop)  :    a  very  loud,  shrill  cry  made  by  the  Indians  when 
engaged  in  war,  or  as  a  shout  of  alarm. 


KING    PHILIP. 


which  stood  near.  Then,  seizing  a  shovel-full  of  red-hot 
coals  from  the  open  fire,  she  stood  ready,  and  just  as  the  In 
dian  thrust  his  head 
into  the  room,  she 
dashed  the  coals 
right  into  his  face 
and  eyes.  With 
a  yell  of  agony 
the  Indian  let  go 
his  hold,  dropped 
to  the  ground  as 
though  he  had 
been  shot,  and  ran 
howling  to  the 
woods. 

93.  The  great  swamp  fight ;  burning  the  Indian  wigwams ; 
what  the  Chief  Canonchet l  said.  —  During  the  summer  and 
autumn  of  1675  the  Indians  on  the  we.st  side  of  Narra- 
gansett  Bay2  took  no  open  part  in  King  Philip's  War. 
But  the  next  winter  the  white  people  found  that  these 
Indians  were  secretly  receiving  and  sheltering  the  savages 
who  had  been  wounded  in  fighting  for  that  noted  chief. 
For  that  reason,  the  settlers  determined  to  raise  a  large 
force  and  attack  them.  The  Indians  had  gathered  in  a 
fort  on  an  island  in  a  swamp.  This  fort  was  a  very  dif 
ficult  place  to  reach.  It  was  built  of  the  trunks  of  trees 
set  upright  in  the  ground.  It  was  so  strong  that  the 
savages  felt  quite  safe. 

Starting  very  early  in  the  morning,  the  attacking  party 
waded  fifteen  miles  through  deep  snow.  Many  of  them 
had  their  hands  and  feet  badly  frozen.  One  of  the  chief 
men  in  leading  the  attack  was  Captain  Benjamin  Church 


Canonchet  (Ka-non'chet), 


2  See  map  on  page  62. 


66  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

of  Plymouth ;  he  was  a  very  brave  soldier,  and  knew  all 
about  Indian  life  and  Indian  fighting.  In  the  battle,  he 
was  struck  by  two  bullets,  and  so  badly  wounded  that 
he  could  not  move  a  step  further ;  but  he  made  one  of  his 
men  hold  him  up,  and  he  shouted  to  his  soldiers  to  go 
ahead.  The  fight  was  a  desperate  one,  but  at  length  the 
fort  was  taken.  The  attacking  party  lost  more  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  in  killed  and  wounded ;  the  Indians 
lost  as  many  as  a  thousand. 

After  the  battle  was  over,  Captain  Church  begged  the 
men  not  to  burn  the  wigwams  inside  the  fort,  for  there 
were  a  great  number  of  old  men  and  women  and  little 
Indian  children  in  the  wigwams.  But  the  men  were  very 
mad  against  the  savages,  and  would  not  listen  to  him. 
They  set  the  wigwams  on  fire,  and  burned  many  of  these 
poor  creatures  to  death. 

Canonchet,  the  chief  of  the  tribe,  was  taken  prisoner. 
The  settlers  told  him  they  would  spare  his  life  if  he  would 
try  to  make  peace.  "  No,"  said  he,  "  we  will  all  fight  to 
the  last  man  rather  than  become  slaves  to  the  white  men." 
He  was  then  told  that  he  must  be  shot.  "  I  like  it  well," 
said  he.  "  I  wish  to  die  before  my  heart  becomes  soft,  or 
I  say  anything  unworthy  of  myself." 

94.  Philip's  wife  and  son  are  taken  prisoners;  Philip  is 
shot ;  end  of  the  war.  —  The  next  summer  Captain  Church, 
with  a  lot  of  "  brisk  Bridgewater  lads  "  chased  King  Philip 
and  his  men,  and  took  many  of  the  Indians  prisoners. 
Among  those  then  taken  captive  were  King  Philip's  wife 
and  his  little  boy.  When  Philip  heard  of  it,  he  cried  out, 
"My  heart  breaks  ;  now  I  am  ready  to  die."  He  had  good 
reason  for  saying  so.  It  was  the  custom  in  England  to 
sell  such  prisoners  of  war  as  slaves.  Following  this  cus 
tom,  the  settlers  here  took  this  boy,  the  grandson  of  that 


INDIAN  ATTACK  ON  A  SETTLE 
MENT. 

The  building  on  the  right  is 
a  block-house,  or  fort  made  of 
hewn  logs.  These  block-houses 
were  built  as  places  of  refuge 
for  the  settlers,  in  case  of  an 
attack  on  the  town  by  the  In- 


66 


KING    PHILIP.  67 

Massasoit l  who  had  helped  them  when  they  were  poor 
and  weak,  and  sold  him  with  his  mother.  They  were  sent 
to  the  Bermuda  Islands,2  and  there  worked  to  death  under 
the  hot  sun  and  the  lash  of  the  slave-driver's  whip. 

Not  long  after  that,  King  Philip  himself  was  shot.  He 
had  been  hunted  like  a  wild  beast  from  place  to  place.  At 
last  he  had  come  back  to  see  his  old  home  at  Mount  Hope3 
once  more.  There  Captain  Church  found  him  ;  there  the 
Indian  warrior  was  shot.  His  head  and  hands  were  cut 
off,  —  as  was  then  done  in  England  in  such  cases,  —  and 
his  head  was  carried  to  Plymouth  and  set  up  on  a  pole. 
It  stood  there  twenty  years. 

King  Philip's  death  brought  the  war  to  an  end.  It  had 
lasted  a  little  over  a  year ;  that  is,  from  the  early  summer  of 
1675  to  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  1676.  In  that  short 
time  the  Indians  had  killed  between  five  and  six  hundred 
\vhite  settlers,  and  had  burned  thirteen  villages  to  ashes, 
besides  partly  burning  a  great  many  more.  The  war  cost 
so  much  money  that  many  people  were  made  poor  by  it ; 
but  the  strength  of  the  Indians  was  broken,  and  they  never 
dared  to  trouble  the  people  of  Southern  New  England 
again. 

95.  Summary.  —  In  1675  King  Philip  began  a  great 
Indian  war  against  the  people  of  Southeastern  New  Eng 
land.  His  object  was  to  kill  off  the  white  settlers,  and  get 
back  the  land  for  the  Indians.  He  did  kill  a  large  num 
ber,  and  he  destroyed  many  villages,  but  in  the  end  the 
white  men  gained  the  victory.  Philip's  wife  and  child 
were  sold  as  slaves,  and  he  was  shot.  The  Indians  never 
attempted  another  war  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

1  See  page  44. 

2  Bermuda  (Ber-mu'dah)  :  the  Bermuda  Islands  are  in  the  Atlantic,  north  of  the 
West  India  Islands  and  east  of  South  Carolina;  they  belong  to  Great  Britain, 

8  See  map  on  page  57. 


68 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


Who  was  Wamsutta  ?  What  happened  to  him  ?  Who  was  "  King  Philip  "  ? 
Why  did  he  hate  the  white  men?  What  did  he  say  to  himself?  What  is  said 
about  the  "  Praying  Indians  "  ?  What  happened  to  one  of  them  ?  What  was  done 
with  three  of  Philip's  men  ?  Where  and  how  did  the  war  begin  ?  To  what  part  of 
the  country  did  it  spread?  Tell  about  the  Indian  attack  on  Brookfield.  What 
happened  at  Hadley  ?  Tell  how  a  woman  drove  off  an  Indian.  Tell  all  you  can 
about  the  Great  Swamp  Fight.  What  is  said  about  Canonchet  ?  What  is  said  of 
King  Philip's  wife  and  son  ?  What  happened  to  King  Philip  himself?  What  is 
said  about  the  war  ? 


WILLIAM    PENN 
(1644-1718). 

96.   King  Charles  the  Second  gives  William  Penn  a  great 
piece  of  land,  and  names  it  Pennsylvania.  —  King  Charles 

the  Second  of  England  owed  a 
large  sum  of  money  to  a  young 
Englishman  named  William 
Penn.  The  king  was  fond  of 
pleasure,  and  he  spent  so  much 
money  on  himself  and  his 
friends  that  he  had  none  left 
to  pay  his  just  debts.  Penn 
knew  this ;  so  he  told  His  Ma 
jesty  that  if  he  would  give  him  a 
piece  of  wild  land  in  America, 
he  would  ask  nothing  more. 
Charles  was  very  glad  to  settle  the  account  so  easily.  He 
therefore  gave  Penn  a  great  territory1  north  of  Maryland2 
and  west  of  the  Delaware  River.  This  territory  was  nearly 
as  large  as  England.  The  king  named  it  Pennsylvania,  a 
word  which  means  Penn's  Woods.  At  that  time  the  land 
was  not  thought  to  be  worth  much.  No  one  then  had  dis 
covered  the  fact  that  beneath  Penn's  Woods  there  were 


WILLIAM  PENN  AT  THE  AGE  OF  22. 


1  Territory :  any  very  large  extent  of  land, 
3  See  map  on  page  69. 


WILLIAM    PENN. 


immense  mines  of  coal  and  iron,  which  would  one  day  be 
of  greater  value  than  all  the  riches  of  the  king  of  England. 

97.  William  Penn's  religion ;  what  he  wanted  to  do  with 
his  American  land.  —  Penn  belonged  to  a  religious  society 
called  the  Society  of  Friends;  to-day  they  are  generally 
spoken  of  as  Quakers.     They  are  a  people  who  try  to  find 
out  what  is  right  by  asking  their  own  hearts.    They  believe 
in  showing  no  more  signs  of  respect  to  one  man  than  to 
another,  and  at  that  time  they  would  not  take  off  their  hats 
even  to  the  king  himself. 

Penn  wanted  the  land  which  had  been  given  him  here  as 
a  place  where  the  Friends  or  Quakers  might  go  and  settle. 
A  little  later  the  whole  of  what  is  now  the  state  of  New 
Jersey  was  bought  by  Penn  and  other  Quakers  for  the  same 
purpose.  We  have  seen l  that  neither  the  Pilgrims  nor  the 
Catholics  had  any  real  peace  in  England.  The  Quakers 
suffered  even  more  still ;  for  oftentimes  they  were  cruelly 
whipped,  thrown  into  dark  and  dirty  prisons  where  many 
died  of  the  bad  treatment  they  received.  William  Penn 
himself  had  been  shut  up  in  jail 
four  times  on  account  of  his  relig 
ion  ;  and  though  he  was  no  longer 
in  such  danger,  because  the  king 
was  his  friend,  yet  he  wanted  to 
provide  a  safe  place  for  others  who 
were  not  so  well  off  as  he  was. 

98.  Penn    sends    out   emigrants   to 
Pennsylvania;    he    gets   ready  to   go 
himself ;    his    conversation   with    the 
king.  —  Penn  accordingly  sent  out  a 
number  of  people  who  were  anxious 

to  settle  in  Pennsylvania.     The  next  year,  1682,  he  made 

1  See  pages  39  and  50. 


7O  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

ready  to  sail,  himself  with  a  hundred  more  emigrants. 
Just  before  he  started,  he  called  on  the  king  in  his  palace 
in  London.  The  king  was  fond  of  joking,  and  he  said  to 
him  that  he  should  never  expect  to  see  him  again,  for  he 
thought  that  the  Indians  would  be  sure  to  catch  such  a 
good-looking  young  man  as  Penn  was  and  eat  him.  '  But, 
Friend  Charles,'  said  Penn,  '  I  mean  to  buy  the  land  of 
the  Indians,  so  they  will  rather  keep  on  good  terms  with 
me  than  eat  me.'  '  Buy  their  lands ! '  exclaimed  the 
king.  '  Why,  is  not  the  whole  of  America  mine  ? '  '  Cer 
tainly  not,'  answered  Penn.  'What!'  replied  the  king; 
'  didn't  my  people  discover  it  ? 1  and  so  haven't  I  the  right 
to  it?'  'Well,  Friend  Charles,'  said  Penn,  'suppose  a 
canoe  full  of  Indians  should  cross  the  sea  and  should  dis 
cover  England,  would  that  make  it  theirs  ?  Would  you 
give  up  the  country  to  them  ? '  The  king  did  not  know 
what  to  say  to  this ;  it  was  a  new  way  of  looking  at  the 
matter.  He  probably  said  to  himself,  These  Quakers  are 
a  strange  people ;  they  seem  to  think  that  even  American 
savages  have  rights  which  should  be  respected. 

99.  Penn  founds2  the  city  of  Philadelphia  ;  his  treaty3  with 
the  Indians ;  his  visit  to  them ;  how  the  Indians  and  the 
Quakers  got  on  together.  —  When  William  Penn  reached 
America,  in  1682,  he  sailed  up  the  broad  and  beautiful  Del 
aware  River  for  nearly  a  hundred  miles.  There  he  stopped, 
and  resolved  to  build  a  city  on  its  banks.  He  gave  the 
place  the  Bible  name  of  Philadelphia,4  or  the  City  of 
Brotherly  Love,  because  he  hoped  that  all  of  its  citizens 
would  live  together  like  brothers.  The  streets  were 


1  Referring  to  the  discovery  of  the  American  continent  by  the  Cabots,  sent  out 
by  Henry  the  Seventh  of  England,  see  page  14. 

2  Founds  :  begins  to  build.  8  Treaty  ;  an  agreement ;  and  see  page  44. 
*  See  Rev.  i.  n  and  iii.  7. 


WILLIAM    PENN. 


named  from  the  trees  then  growing  on  the  land,  and  so 
to-day  many  are  still  called  Walnut,  Pine,  Cedar,  Vine,  and 
so  on. 

Penn  said,  "  We  intend  to  sit  down  lovingly  among  the 
Indians."     On  that  account,  he  held  a  great  meeting  with 
them  under  a  wide-spreading  elm.     The  tree  stood  in  what 
is   now  a  part  of    Philadelphia. 
Here    Penn    and    the    red    men 
made  a  treaty  or  agree 
ment    by  which    they 
promised    each    other 
that  they  would    live 
together  as  friends  as 
long     as     the     water 
should  run  in  the  riv 
ers,  or  the  sun  shine 
in  the  sky. 

Nearly  a  hundred 
years  later,  while  the 
Revolutionary  War  was  going  on,  the  British  army  took 
possession  of  the  city.  It  was  cold,  winter  weather,  and 
the  men  wanted  fire-wood  ;  but  the  English  general  thought 
so  much  of  William  Penn  that  he  set  a  guard  of  soldiers 
round  the  great  elm,  to  prevent  any  one  from  chopping  it 
down. 

Not  long  after  the  great  meeting  under  the  elm,  Penn 
visited  some  of  the  savages  in  their  wigwams.  They  treated 
him  to  a  dinner — or  shall  we  say  a  lunch?  —  of  roasted 
acorns.  After  their  feast,  some  of  the  young  savages 
began  to  run  and  leap  about,  to  show  the  Englishman  what 
they  could  do.  When  Penn  was  in  college  at  Oxford  he 
had  been  fond  of  doing  such  things  himself.  The  sight 
of  the  Indian  boys  made  him  feel  like  a  boy  again ;  so  he 


PENN  MAKING  THE  TREATY  WITH  THE  INDIANS. 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


sprang  up  from  the  ground,  and 
beat  them  all  at  hop,  skip,  and 
jump.  This  completely  won  the 
hearts  of  the  red  men. 

From  that  time,  for  sixty  years, 
the  Pennsylvania  settlers  and  the 
Indians  were  fast  friends.  The  In 
dians  said,  "  The  Quakers  are  hon 
est  men ;  they  do  no  harm  ;  they 
are  welcome  to  come  here."  In 
New  England  there  had  been,  as 
we  have  seen,1  a  terrible  war  with 
the  savages,  but  in  Pennsylvania, 
no  Indian  ever  shed  a  drop  of 
Quaker  blood. 

100.  How  Philadelphia  grew ; 
what  was  done  there  in  the  Revolu 
tion  ;  William  Penn's  last  years 
and  death.  —  Philadelphia  grew 
quite  fast.  William  Penn  let  the 
people  have  land  very  cheap,  and 
he  said  to  them,  "You  shall  be 
governed  by  laws  of  your  own 
making."  Even  after  Philadel 
phia  became  quite  a  good-sized 
town,  it  had  no  poor-house,  for 
none  was  needed ;  everybody 
seemed  to  be  able  to  take  care  of 
himself. 

When  the  Revolution  began,  the 
(On  the  Tower  of  the  new  city  Haii,  people  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  the 
Philadelphia.)  country  north  and  south  of  it  sent 

1  See  page  62. 


STATUE  OF  WILLIAM  PENN. 


WILLIAM    PENN. 


73 


men  to  Philadelphia  to  decide  what  should  be  done.  This 
meeting  was  called  the  Congress.  It  was  held  in  the  old 
State  House,  a  building  which  is  still  standing,  and  in  1776 
Congress  declared  the  United  States  of  America  independ 
ent  of  England.  In  the  war,  the  people  of  Delaware  and 
New  Jersey  fought  side  by  side  with  those  of  Pennsylvania. 
William  Penn  spent  a  great  deal  of  money  in  helping 
Philadelphia  and  other  settlements.  After  he  returned  to 
England  he  was  put  in  prison  for  debt  by  a  rascally  fellow 


***&• 

WILLIAM  PENN'S  GRAVE  AT  JORDANS'S  MEETING-HOUSE,  ENGLAND. 

he  had  employed.  He  did  not  owe  the  money,  and  proved 
that  the  man  who  said  that  he  did  was  no  better  than  a 
thief.  Penn  was  released  from  prison ;  but  his  long  con 
finement  in  jail  had  broken  his  health  down.  When  he 
died,  the  Indians  of  Pennsylvania  sent  his  widow  some 
beautiful  furs,  in  remembrance  of  their  "  Brother  Penn," 
as  they  called  him.  They  said  that  the  furs  were  to  make 
her  a  cloak,  "to  protect  her  while  passing  through  this 
thorny  wilderness  without  her  guide/* 

About  twenty-five  miles  west  of  London,  on  a  country 


74  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

road  within  sight  of  the  towers  of  Windsor  Castle,1  there 
stands  a  Friends'  meeting-house,  or  Quaker  church.  In 
the  yard  back  of  the  meeting-house  William  Penn  lies 
buried.  For  a  hundred  years  or  more  there  was  no  mark 
of  any  kind  to  show  where  he  rests ;  but  now  a  small  stone 
bearing  his  name  points  out  the  grave  of  the  founder  of 
the  great  state  of  Pennsylvania. 

101.  Summary.  —  Charles  the  Second,  king  of  England, 
owed  William  Penn,  a  young  English  Quaker,  a  large  sum 
of  money.     In  order  to  settle  the  debt,  the  king  gave  him 
a  great  piece  of  land  in  America,  and  named  it  Pennsyl 
vania,  or  Penn's  Woods.     Penn  wished  to  make  a  home 
for  Quakers  in  America;  and  in   1682  he  came  over,  and 
began  building  the  city  of  Philadelphia.     When  the  Revo 
lution  broke  out,  men  were  sent  from  all  parts  of  the  coun 
try  to  Philadelphia,  to  hold  a  meeting  called  the  Congress. 
In  17/6,  Congress  declared  the  United  States  independent. 

To  whom  did  King  Charles  the  Second  owe  a  large  sum  of  money  ?  How  did 
he  pay  his  debt  ?  What  did  the  king  name  the  country  ?  What  does  the  name 
mean  ?  What  has  been  found  there  ?  What  is  said  about  the  Friends  or  Quakers  ? 
What  did  Penn  want  the  land  here  for  ?  How  were  the  Quakers  then  treated  in 
England  ?  What  did  Penn  do  in  1682  ?  Tell  what  the  king  said  to  Penn  and  what 
Penn  replied.  What  city  did  Penn  begin  to  build  here  ?  What  does  Philadelphia 
mean?  What  did  Penn  and  the  Indians  do  ?  What  did  the  English  general  do 
about  the  great  elm  in  the  Revolution  ?  Tell  about  Penn's  dinner  with  the  Indians. 
Did  the  Indians  trouble  the  Quakers  ?  What  is  said  of  the  growth  of  Philadelphia  ? 
What  was  done  there  in  the  Revolution  ?  Tell  what  you  can  about  Penn's  last 
days.  Where  is  he  buried  ? 

GENERAL  JAMES  OGLETHORPE* 
(1696-1785). 

102.  The  twelve  English  colonies  in  America ;  General  Ogle- 
thorpe  makes  a  settlement  in  Georgia.  —  We  have  seen  3  that 

1  Windsor  Castle  :  see  page  51.  2  Oglethorpe  (6'gel-thorp). 

8  See  page  23. 


GENERAL  JAMES  OGLETHORPE. 


75 


the  first  real  colony  or  settlement  made  in  America  by  the 
English  was  in  Virginia  in  1607.  By  the  beginning  of 
1733,  or  in  about  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  years,  eleven 
more  had  been  made,  or  twelve  in  all.  They  stretched 
along  the  seacoast,  from  the  farthest  coast  of  Maine  to 
the  northern  boundary  of  Florida,  which  was  then  owned 
by  the  Spaniards.1 

The  two  colonies  farthest  south  were  North  Carolina 
and  South  Carolina.  In  1733  James  Oglethorpe,  a  brave 
English  soldier,  who  af 
terward  became  General 
Oglethorpe,  came  over 
here  to  make  a  new  set 
tlement.  This  new  one, 
which  made  thirteen2  in 
all,  was  called  Georgia 
in  honor  of  King  George 
the  Second,  who  gave  a 
piece  of  land  for  it,  on 
the  seacoast,  below  South 
Carolina. 

103.  What  it  was  that 
led  General  Oglethorpe  to  make  this  new  settlement.  —  Gen 
eral  Oglethorpe  had  a  friend  in  England  who  was  cast  into 
prison  for  debt.  There  the  unfortunate  man  was  so  cruelly 
treated  that  he  fell  sick  and  died,  leaving  his  family  in 
great  distress. 


1  Because  the  Spaniards  had  settled  it  in  1565 ;  see  page  19. 

2  These  thirteen  colonies  or  settlements  were  :  First,  the  four  New  England  col 
onies  (New   Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  and  Rhode  Island;    Maine 
was  then  part  of  Massachusetts,  and  Vermont  was  claimed  by  both  New  Hampshire 
and  New  York).     Secondly,  four  middle  colonies  (New  York,  New  Jersey,  Penn 
sylvania,  with  Delaware).     Thirdly,  five  southern  colonies  (Maryland,  Virginia, 
North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia). 


76 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


The  General  felt  the  death  of  his  friend  so  much  that 
he  set  to  work  to  find  out  how  other  poor  debtors  lived 
in  the  London  prisons.  He  soon  saw  that  great  numbers 
of  them  suffered  terribly.  The  prisons  were  crowded  and 
filthy.  The  men  shut  up  in  them  were  ragged  and  dirty  ; 
some  of  them  were  fastened  with  heavy  chains,  and  a  good 
many  actually  died  of  starvation. 

General  Oglethorpe  could  not  bear  to  see  strong  men 
killed  off  in  this  manner.  He  thought  that  if  the  best  of 
them  —  those  who  were  honest  and  willing  to  work  — 


SAVANNAH,  AS  GENERAL  OGLETHORPE  LAID  IT  OUT  IN  1733. 

could  have  the  chance  given  them  of  earning  their  living, 
that  they  would  soon  do  as  well  as  any  men.  It  was  to 
help  them  that  he  persuaded  the  king  to  give  the  land  of 
Georgia. 

104.  Building  the  city  of  Savannah;  what  the  people  of 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  did;  a  busy  settlement;  the  alli 
gators.  —  General  Oglethorpe  took  over  thirty-five  families 
to  America  in  1733.  They  settled  on  a  high  bank  of  the 


GENERAL  JAMES  OGLETHORPE.  JJ 

Savannah 1  River,  about  twenty  miles  from  the  sea.  The 
general  laid  out  a  town  with  broad,  straight,  handsome 
streets,  and  with  many  small  squares  or  parks.  He  called 
the  settlement  Savannah  from  the  Indian  name  of  the  river 
on  which  it  stands. 

The  people  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  were  glad  to 
have  some  English  neighbors  south  of  them  that  would 
help  them  fight  the  Spaniards  of  Florida,  who  hated  the 
English,  and  wanted  to  drive  them  out.  They  gave  the 
newcomers  a  hundred  head  of  cattle,  a  drove  of  hogs,  and 
twenty  barrels  of  rice. 

The  emigrants  set  to  work  with  a  will,  cutting  down  the 
forest  trees,  building  houses,  and  planting  gardens.  There 
were  no  idlers  to  be  seen  at  Savannah :  even  the  children 
found  something  to  do  that  was  helpful. 

Nothing  disturbed  the  people  but  the  alligators.  They 
climbed  up  the  bank  from  the  river  to  see  what  was  going 
on.  But  the  boys  soon  taught  them  not  to  be  too  curious. 
When  one  monster  was  found  impudently  prowling  round 
the  town,  they  thumped  him  with  sticks  till  they  fairly  beat 
the  life  out  of  him.  After  that,  the  alligators  paid  no 
more  visits  to  the  settlers. 

105.  Arrival  of  some  German  emigrants  ;  "  Ebenezer  "  ;  2 
"blazing"  trees.  —  After  a  time,  some  German  Protestants, 
who  had  been  cruelly  driven  out  of  their  native  land  on 
account  of  their  religion,  came  to  Georgia.  General  Ogle- 
thorpe  gave  them  a  hearty  welcome.  He  had  bought  land 
of  the  Indians,  and  so  there  was  plenty  of  room  for  all. 
The  Germans  went  up  the  river,  and  then  went  back  a 
number  of  miles  into  the  woods ;  there  they  picked  out 
a  place  for  a  town.  They  called  their  settlement  by  the 

1  Savannah  (Sa-van'ah).  2  Ebenezer  (Eb-e-ne'zer), 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Bible  name  of  Ebenezer,1  which  means  "  The  Lord  hath 
helped  us." 

There  were  no  roads  through  the  forests,  so  the  new 
settlers  "  blazed  "  the  trees ;  that  is,  they  chopped  a  piece 
of  bark  off,  so  that  they  could  find 
their  way  through  the  thick  woods 
when  they  wanted  to  go  to  Savannah. 
Every  tree  so  marked  stood  like  a 
guide-post ;  it  showed  the  traveller 
which  way  to  go  until  he  came  in 
sight  of  the  next  one. 

106.  Trying  to  make  silk ;  the  queen's 
American  dress.  —  The  settlers  hoped 
to  be  able  to  get  large  quantities  of  s.lk 
to  send  to  England,  because  the  mul 
berry-tree  grows  wild  in  Georgia,  and 
its  leaves  are  the  favorite  food  of  the 
silk-worm.2  At  first  it  seemed  as  if 
the  plan  would  be  successful,  and  General  Oglethorpe  took 
over  some  Georgia  silk  as  a  present  to  the  queen  of  Eng 
land.  She  had  a  handsome  dress  made  of  it  for  her  birth 
day  ;  it  was  the  first  American  silk  dress  ever  worn  by  an 
English  queen.  But  after  a  while  it  was  found  that  silk 
could  not  be  produced  in  Georgia  as  well  as  it  could  in 
Italy  and  France,  and  so  in  time  cotton  came  to  be  raised 
instead. 

107.  Keeping  out  the  Spaniards  ;  Georgia  powder  at  Bun 
ker  Hill ;  General  Oglethorpe  in  his  old  age.  —  The  people 
of  Georgia  did  a  good  work  in  keeping  out  the  Spaniards, 
who  were  trying  to  get  possession  of  the  part  of  the  coun- 

1  See  I  Sam.  vii.  12. 

2  Silkworm :  a  kind  of  caterpillar  which  spins  a  fine,  soft  thread  of  which  silk 
is  made. 


THE  "  BLAZED"  TREES. 


GENERAL  JAMES  OGLETHORPE.  79 

try  north  of  Florida.  Later,  like  the  settlers  in  North 
Carolina  and  South  Carolina,  they  did  their  part  in  helping 
to  make  America  independent  of  the  rule  of  the  king  of 
England.  When  the  war  of  the  Revolution  began,  the 
king  had  a  lot  of  powder  stored  in  Savannah.  The  people 
broke  into  the  building,  rolled  out  the  kegs,  and  carried 
them  off.  Part  of  the  powder  they  kept  for  themselves, 
and  part  they  seem  to  have  sent  to  Massachusetts  ;  so  that 
it  is  quite  likely  that  the  men  who  fought  at  Bunker  Hill 
may  have  loaded  their  guns  with  some  of  the  powder  given 
them  by  their  friends  in  Savannah.  In  that  case  the  king 
got  it  back,  but  in  a  somewhat  different  way  from  what  he 
expected. 

General  Oglethorpe  spent  the  last  of  his  life  in  England. 
He  lived  to  a  very  great  age.  Up  to  the  last  he  had  eyes 
as  bright  and  keen  as  a  boy's.  After  the  Revolution  was 
over,  the  king  made  a  treaty  or  agreement,  by  which  he 
promised  to  let  the  United  States  of  America  live  in  peace. 
General  Oglethorpe  was  able  to  read  that  treaty  without 
spectacles.  He  had  lived  to  see  the  colony  of  Georgia 
which  he  had  settled  become  a  free  and  independent  state. 

108.  Summary.  —  In  1733  General  James  Oglethorpe 
brought  over  a  number  of  emigrants  from  England,  and 
settled  Savannah,  Georgia.  Georgia  was  the  thirteenth 
English  colony ;  it  was  the  last  one  established  in  this 
country.  General  Oglethorpe  lived  to  see  it  become  one 
of  the  United  States  of  America. 

At  the  beginning  of  1733  how  many  English  colonies  were  there  in  America  ? 
Who  was  General  Oglethorpe  ?  What  did  he  do  ?  Why  was  the  new  settlement 
called  Georgia?  Tell  what  happened  to  a  friend  of  General  Oglethorpe's.  What 
did  he  wish  to  do  for  the  poor  debtors  ?  What  is  said  about  the  settlement  of  Sa 
vannah  ?  What  about  the  German  emigrants  and  Ebenezer  ?  What  about  raising 
silk  ?  What  good  work  did  the  people  of  Georgia  do  ?  What  about  Georgia 
powder  in  the  Revolution  ?  What  is  said  of  General  Oglethorpe  in  old  age  ? 


8o 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN 
(1706-1790). 

109.  Growth  of  Philadelphia ;  what  a  young  printer  was 
doing  for  it.  —  By  the  year  1733,  when  the  people  of 
Savannah1  were  building  their  first  log  cabins,  Philadel 
phia2  had  grown  to  be  the  largest  city  in  this  country, 
—  though  it  would  take  more  than  seventy  such  cities  to 
make  one  as  great  as  Philadelphia  now  is. 

Next  to  William  Penn,3  the  p'erson  who  did  the  most  for 
Philadelphia  was  a  young  man  who  had  gone  from  Boston 
to  make  his  home  among  the  Quakers.  He  lived  in  a 
small  house  near  the  market.  On  a  board  over  the  door 
he  had  painted  his  name  and  business ;  here  it  is : 

110.  Franklin's   newspaper   and   al- 

manac>4    h°w    ne  worked;    standing 
before    kings.  __Franklin  was    then 

publishing  a  small  newspaper,  called 
the  Pennsylvania  Gazetted  To-day 
^,  we  print  newspapers  by  steam 
at  the  rate  of  two  or  three  hundred 
a  minute;  but  Franklin, 
standing  in  his  shirt 
sleeves  at  a  little  press, 

printed  his  with  his  own  hands.     It  was  hard 
work,  as  you  could  see  by  the  drops  of  sweat 
that  stood  on  his  forehead;   and  it  was   slow 
as  well  as  hard.     The  young  man  not  only  wrote  himself 
most  of  what  he  printed  in  his  paper,  but  he  often  made 


1  See  page  76. 

2  See  page  70. 

3  See  page  68. 


4  Almanac  (al'ma-nak). 

6  Gazette  (ga-zef)  :  a  newspaper. 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN. 


81 


A  TYPE. 
(The  Letter  B.) 


FRANKLIN  WHEELING  A  LOAD  OF 
PAPER. 


his  own  ink ;  sometimes  he  even  made  his  own  type.1 
When  he  got  out  of  paper  he  would  take  a  wheelbarrow, 

go  out  and  buy  a  load,  and 

wheel   it   home.      To-day 

there  are   more   than   three 

hundred  newspapers  printed 

in  Philadelphia;  then 

there  were  only  two, 

^       Franklm»s       was 

the  better  of  those  two. 

Besides  this  paper  he  published 
an  almanac,  which  thousands  of 
people  bought.  In  it  he  printed 

such  sayings  as  these  :  "  He  who  would  thrive 2  must  rise 
at  five"  and  "  If  you  want  a  thing  well  done,  do  it  your 
self."  But  Franklin  was  not  contented  with  simply  print 
ing  these  sayings,  for  he  practised  them  as  well. 

Sometimes  his  friends  would  ask  him  why  he  began 
work  so  early  in  the  morning,  and  kept  at  it  so  many 
hours.  He  would  laugh,  and  tell  them  that  his  father  used 
to  repeat  to  him  this  saying  of  Solomon's  :  "  Seest  thou 
a  man  diligent  in  his  business  ?  he  shall  stand  before  kings  ; 
he  shall  not  stand  before  mean  men'' 3 

At  that  time  the  young  printer  never  actually  expected 
to  stand  in  the  presence  of  a  king,  but  years  later  he  met 
with  five  ;  and  one  of  them,  his  friend  the  king  of  France, 
gave  him  his  picture  set  round  with  diamonds. 

111.  Franklin's  boyhood ;  making  tallow  candles ;  he  is 
apprenticed4  to  his  brother  ;  how  he  managed  to  save  money 

1  Type :  the  raised  metal  letters  used  in  printing  are  made  by  melting  lead  and 
some  other  metals  together  and  pouring  the  mixture  into  molds. 

2  Thrive  :  to  get  on  in  business,  to  prosper.  8  See  Prov.  xxii.  29. 

4  Apprenticed  :  bound  by  a  written  agreement  to  learn  a  trade  of  a  master,  who 
is  bound  by  the  same  agreement  to  teach  the  trade. 


82  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

to  buy  books.  —  Franklin's  father  was  a  poor  man  with  a 
large  family.  He  lived  in  Boston,  and  made  soap  and 
candles.  Benjamin  went  to  school  two  years;  then,  when 
he  was  ten  years  old,  his  father  set  him  to  work  in  his 
factory,  and  he  never  went  to  school  again.  He  was  now 
kept  busy  filling  the  candle-molds  with  melted  grease, 
cutting  off  the  ends  of  the  wicks,  and  running  errands. 
But  the  boy  did  not  like  this  kind  of  work;  and,  as  he 
was  very  fond  of  books,  his  father  put  him  in  a  printing- 
office.  This  office  was  carried  on  by  James  Franklin,  one 
of  Benjamin's  brothers.  James  Franklin  paid  a  small  sum 
of  money  each  week  for  Benjamin's  board;  but  the  boy 
told  him  that  if  he  would  let  him  have  half  the  money  to 
use  as  he  liked,  he  would  board  himself.  James  was  glad 
to  do  this.  Benjamin  then  gave  up  eating  meat,  and, 
while  the  others  went  out  to  dinner,  he  would  stay  in  the 
printing-office  and  eat  a  boiled  potato,  or  perhaps  a  handful 
of  raisins.  In  this  way,  he  saved  up  a  number  of  coppers 
every  week ;  and  when  he  got  enough  laid  by,  he  would 
buy  a  book. 

But  James  Franklin  was  not  only  a  mean  man,  but  a 
hot-tempered  one ;  and  when  he  got  angry  with  his  young 
apprentice,1  he  would  beat  and  knock  him  about.  At 
length  the  lad,  who  was  now  seventeen,  made  up  his  mind 
that  he  would  run  away,  and  go  to  New  York. 

112.  Young  Franklin  runs  away ;  he  goes  to  New  York, 
and  then  to  Philadelphia.  —  Young  Franklin  sold  some  of 
his  books,  and  with  the  money  paid  his  passage  to  New 
York  by  a  sailing-vessel  —  for  in  those  days  there  were 
no  steamboats  or  railroads  in  America.  When  he  got  to 
New  York,  he  could  not  find  work,  so  he  decided  to  go  on 
to  Philadelphia. 

1  Apprentice  :  one  who  is  apprenticed  to  a  master  to  learn  a  trade.    See  note,  page  8 1. 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN. 


He  started  to  walk  across  New  Jersey  to  Burlington  on 
the  Delaware  River,  a  distance  of  about  fifty  miles ;  there 
he  hoped  to  get  a  sail-boat  going  down  the 
river  to  Philadelphia.  Shortly  after  he  set 
out,  it  began  to  rain  hard,  and  the  lad  was 
soon  wet  to  the  skin  and  splashed  all  over 
with  red  mud ;  but  he  kept  on  until  noon, 
then  took  a  rest,  and  on  the  third  day  he 
reached  Burlington  and  got  passage  down 
the  river. 

113.  Franklin's  Sunday  walk  in  Philadel 
phia  ;  the  rolls ;  Miss  Read ;  the  Quaker  meet 
ing-house. —  Franklin  landed  in  Philadelphia  on  Sunday 
morning  (1723).  He  was  tired  and  hungry;  he  had  but 
a  single  dollar  in  the  world.  As  he  walked  along,  he  saw 
a  bake-shop  open.  He  went  in  and  bought  three  great, 
puffy  rolls  for  a  penny1  each.  Then  he  started  up  Mar 
ket  Street,  where  he  was  one  day  to  have  his  newspaper 
office.  He  had  a  roll  like  a  small  loaf  of  bread  tucked 

under  each  arm,  and  he  was 

eatins  the  other  as  thoush 

it  tasted  good  to  him.  As 
he  passed  a  house,  he  no- 
ticed  a  nice-looking  young 
woman  at  the  door.  She 
seemed  to  want  to  laugh ; 
and  well  she  might,  for  Frank 
lin  appeared  like  a  youthful 
tramp  who  had  been  robbing  a  baker's  shop.  The  young 
woman  was  Miss  Deborah2  Read.  A  number  of  years 
later  Franklin  married  her.  He  always  said  that  he  could 
not  have  got  a  better  wife. 


1  Penny  :  an  English  coin  worth  two  cents. 


2  Deborah  (Deb'o-rah). 


84 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


Franklin  kept  on  in  his  walk  until  he  came  to  the  Dela 
ware.  He  took  a  hearty  drink  of  river  water  to  settle  his 
breakfast,  and  then  gave  away  the  two  rolls  he  had  under 
his  arm  to  a  poor  woman  with  a  child.  On  his  way  back 
from  the  river  he  followed  a  number  of  people  to  a  Quaker 
meeting-house.  At  the  meeting  no  one  spoke.  Franklin 
was  tired  out,  and,  not  having  any  preacher  to  keep  him 
awake,  he  soon  fell  asleep,  and  slept  till  the  meeting  was 
over.  He  says,  "This  was  the  first  house  I  was  in,  or 
slept  in,  in  Philadelphia." 

114.  Franklin  finds  work ;  he  goes  back  to  Boston  on  a 
visit ;  he  learns  to  stoop.  —  The  next  day  the  young  man 
found  some  work  in  a  printing-office.  Six  months  after 
ward  he  decided  to  go  back  to  Boston  to  see  his  friends. 
He  started  on  his  journey  with  a  good  suit  of  clothes,  a 
silver  watch,  and  a  well-filled  purse. 

While  in  Boston,  Franklin  went  to  call  on  a  minister 
who  had  written  a  little  book l  which  he  had  been  very 

fond  of  reading.  As  he 
was  coming  away  from  the 
minister's  house,  he  had 
to  go  through  a  low  pas 
sage-way  under  a  large 
beam.  "  Stoop  !  Stoop  !  " 
cried  out  the  gentleman; 
but  Franklin  did  not  un 
derstand  him,  and  so  hit 
his  head  a  sharp  knock 
against  the  beam.  "  Ah," 
said  his  friend,  as  he  saw 
him  rubbing  his  head,  "you  are  young,  and  have  the 

1  The  name  of  this  book,  written  by  the  Rev.  Cotton  Mather,  was  Essays  to  do 
Good. 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN.  85 

world  before  you ;  stoop  as  you  go  through  it,  and  you 
will  miss  many  hard  thumps."  Franklin  says  that  this 
sensible  advice,  which  was  thus  beat  into  his  head,  was  of 
great  use  afterward ;  in  fact,  he  learned  then  how  to  stoop 
to  conquer. 

115.  Franklin  returns  to  Philadelphia ;  he  goes  to  London ; 
water  against  beer.  —  Franklin  soon  went  back  to  Philadel 
phia.  The  governor  of  Pennsylvania  then  persuaded  him 
to  go  to  London,  telling  him  that  he  would  help  him 
to  get  a  printing-press  and  type  to  start  a  newspaper  in 
Philadelphia. 

When  Franklin  reached  London,  he  found  that  the  gov 
ernor  was  one  of  those  men  who  promise  great  things,  but 
do  nothing.  Instead  of  buying  a  press,  he  had  to  go  to 
work  in  a  printing-office  to  earn  his  bread.  He  stayed  in 
London  more  than  a  year.  At  the  office  where  he  worked 
the  men  were  great  beer-drinkers.  One  of  his  compan 
ions  bought  six  pints  a  day.  He  began  with  a  pint  before 
breakfast,  then  took  another  pint  at  breakfast,  then  a  pint 
between  breakfast  and  dinner,  then  a  pint  at  dinner,  then 
a  pint  in  the  afternoon,  and,  last  of  all,  a  pint  after  he  had 
done  work.  Franklin  drank  nothing  but  water.  The 
others  laughed  at  him,  and  nicknamed  him  the  "Water- 
American  "  ;  but  after  a  while  they  had  to  confess  that  he 
was  stronger  than  they  were  who  drank  so  much  strong 
beer. 

The  fact  was  that  Franklin  could  beat  them  both  at 
work  and  at  play.  When  they  went  out  for  a  bath  in  the 
Thames,1  they  found  that  their  "  Water-American  "  could 
swim  like  a  fish ;  and  he  so  astonished  them  that  a  rich 
Londoner  tried  to  persuade  him  to  start  a  swimming-school 
to  teach  his  sons,  but  Franklin  had  stayed  in  England 

1  Thames  (TSms).     London  is  on  the  river  Thames. 


86  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

long  enough,  and  he  now  decided  to  go  back  to  Phila 
delphia. 

116.  Franklin  sets  up  his  newspaper;  " sawdust  pudding," 
—  After  his  return  to  America,  Franklin  labored  so  dili 
gently  that  he  was  soon  able  to  set  up  a  newspaper  of  his 
own.  He  tried  to  make  it  a  good  one.  But  some  people 

thought  that  he  spoke  his 
mind  too  freely.  They 
complained  of  this  to  him, 
and  gave  him  to  under 
stand  that  if  he  did  not 
make  his  paper  to  please 
them,  they  would  stop  tak 
ing  it  or  advertising  in  it. 

Franklin     heard     what 

they  had  to  say,  and  then 
invited  them  all  to  come 

and  have  supper  with  him.  They  went,  expecting  a 
feast,  but  they  found  nothing  on  the  table  but  two 
dishes  of  corn-meal  mush  and  a  big  pitcher  of  cold  water. 
That  kind  of  mush  was  then  eaten  only  by  very  poor 
people ;  and  because  it  was  yellow  and  coarse,  it  was  nick 
named  "  sawdust  pudding." 

Franklin  gave  everybody  a  heaping  plateful,  and  then, 
filling  his  own,  he  made  a  hearty  supper  of  it.  The  others 
tried  to  eat,  but  could  not.  After  Franklin  had  finished 
his  supper,  he  looked  up,  and  said  quietly,  "  My  friends, 
any  one  who  can  live  on  '  sawdust  pudding  '  and  cold  water, 
as  I  can,  does  not  need  much  help  from  others."  After 
that,  no  one  went  to  the  young  printer  with  complaints 
about  his  paper.  Franklin,  as  we  have  seen,1  had  learned 

1  See  page  84. 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN.  8/ 

to  stoop  ;  but  he  certainly  did  not  mean  to  go  stooping 
through  life. 

117.  Franklin's  plan  of  life  ;  what  he  did  for  Philadelphia. 
-  Not  many  young  men  can   see  their  own    faults,  but 

Franklin  could.  More  than  that,  he  tried  hard  to  get  rid 
of  them.  He  kept  a  little  book  in  which  he  wrote  down  his 
faults.  If  he  wasted  half  an  hour  of  time  or  a  shilling  of 
money,  or  said  anything  that  he  had  better  not  have  said, 
he  wrote  it  down  in  his  book.  He  carried  that  book  in  his 
pocket  all  his  life,  and  he  studied  it  as  a  boy  at  school 
studies  a  hard  lesson.  By  it  he  learned  three  things,  — 
first,  to  do  the  right  thing ;  next,  to  do  it  at  the  right  time ; 
last  of  all,  to  do  it  in  the  right  way. 

As  he  was  never  tired  of  helping  himself  to  get  upward 
and  onward,  so,  too,  he  was  never  tired  of  helping  others. 
He  started  the  first  public  library  in  Philadelphia,  which 
was  also  the  first  in  America.  He  set  on  foot  the  first  fire- 
engine  company  and  the  first  military  company  in  that 
city.  He  got  the  people  to  pave  the  muddy  streets  with 
stone  ;  he  helped  to  build  the  first  academy,  —  now  called 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  —  and  he  also  helped  to 
build  the  first  hospital. 

118.  Franklin's  experiments1  with  electricity;  the  wonderful 
bottle ;  the  picture  of  the  king"  of  England.  —  While  doing 
these  things  and   publishing  his  paper  besides,  Franklin 
found  time  to  make  experiments  with  electricity.      Very 
little  was  then  known  about  this  wonderful  power,  but  a 
Dutchman,  living  in  the  city  of  Leyden2  in  Holland,  had 
discovered   a  way  of  bottling  it  up   in  what  is  called  a 


1  Experiments :   here   an   experiment   is   a  trial  made   to   discover  something 
unknown.      Franklin   made  these  experiments  or  trials  with  electricity  and  with 
thunder  clouds  in  order  to  find  out  what  he  could  about  them 

2  Leyden :  see  map  on  page  40. 


88 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


Leyden  Jar.  Franklin  had  one  of  these  jars,  and  he  was 
never  tired  of  seeing  what  new  and  strange  thing  he  could 
do  with  it. 

He  contrived  a  picture  of  the  king  of  England  with  a 
movable  gilt  crown  on  his  head.  Then  he  connected  the 
crown  by  a  long  wire  with  the  Leyden  Jar.  When  he 
.„  wanted  some  fun  he  would 

dare  any  one  to  go  up  to 
the    picture   and   take   off 
the    king's    crown.      Why 
that's  easy  enough,  a  man 
would  say,  and  would  walk 
up    and    seize   the  crown. 
But    no    sooner    had     he 
touched  it  than  he  would 
get  an  electric  shock  which 
would    make    his     ringers 
tingle   as   they  never   tin 
gled  before.     With  a  loud  Oh !  Oh !  he  would  let  go  of 
the  crown,  and  start  back  in  utter  astonishment,  not  know 
ing  what  had  hurt  him. 

119.  The  electrical  kite.  —  But  Franklin's  greatest  experi 
ment  was  made  one  day  in  sober  earnest  with  a  kite.  He 
believed  that  the  electricity  in  the  bottle,  or  Leyden  Jar, 
was  the  same  thing  as  the  lightning  we  see  in  a  thunder 
storm.  He  knew  well  enough  how  to  get  an  electric  spark 
from  the  jar,  for  he  had  once  killed  a  turkey  with  it  for 
dinner ;  but  how  could  he  get  a  spark  from  a  cloud  in  the 
sky? 

He  thought  about  it  for  a  long  time;  then  he  made  a 
kite  out  of  a  silk  handkerchief,  and  fastened  a  sharp  iron 
point  to  the  upright  stick  of  the  kite.  One  day,  when  a 
thunder-storm  was  seen  coming  up,  Franklin  and  his  son 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN. 


89 


went  out  to  the  fields.  The  kite  was  raised  ;  then  Franklin 
tied  an  iron  key  to  the  lower  end  of  the  string.  After 
waiting  some  time,  he  saw  the  little  hair-like  threads  of 
the  string  begin  to  stand  up  like  the  bristles  of  a  brush. 
He  felt  certain  that  the  electricity  was  coming  down  the 
string.  He  put  his  knuckle  close  to  the  key,  and  a  spark 
flew  out.  Next,  he  took 
his  Leyden  Jar  and  collec 
ted  the  electricity  in  that. 
He  had  made  two  great 
discoveries,  for  he  had 
found  out  that  electricity 
and  lightning  are  the  same 
thing  and  he  had  also 
found  how  to  fill  his  bottle 
"directly  from  the  clouds : 
that  was  something  that  no 
one  had  ev.er  done  before. 

120.  Franklin  invents  the  lightning-rod;  Doctor  Franklin. 
—  But  Franklin  did  not  stop  at  that.  He  said,  If  I  can 
draw  down  electricity  from  the  sky  with  a  kite-string,  I  can 
draw  it  still  better  with  a  tall,  sharp-pointed  iron  rod.  He 
put  up  such  a  rod  on  his  house  in  Philadelphia ;  it  was  the 
first  lightning-rod  in  the  world.  Soon  other  people  began 
to  put  them  up :  so  this  was  another  gift  of  his  to  the 
city  which  he  loved.  Every  good  lightning-rod  which  has 
since  been  erected  to  protect  buildings  has  been  a  copy  of 
that  invented  by  Franklin. 

People  now  began  to  talk,  not  only  in  this  country  but 
in  Europe,  about  his  electrical  experiments  and  discoveries. 
The  oldest  college  in  Scotland l  gave  him  a  title  of  honor 
and  called  him  Doctor  —  a  word  which  means  a  learned 


i  The  University  of  St.  Andrews. 


gO  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

man.     From  this  time,  Franklin  the  printer  was  no  longer 

plain  Mr.  Franklin,  but  Dr.  Franklin. 

Dr.  Franklin  did  not  think  that  he  had  found  out  all 

that  could  be  found  out  about  electricity ;  he  believed  that 

he  had  simply  made  a  beginning,  and  that  other  men 
would  discover  still  greater  things  that 
could  be  done  with  it.  Do  you  think  he 
was  mistaken  about  that  ? 

121.  Franklin  in  the  Revolutionary  War; 
Franklin  and  the  map  of  the  United  States.  — 
When  the  war  of  the  Revolution  broke  out, 
Dr.  Franklin  did  a  great  work  for  his  coun 
try.  He  did  not  fight  battles  like  Washing 
ton,  but  he  did  something  just  as  useful. 

FRANKLIN'S  CANE  AND     First,  he  helped  write   the  Declaration 

WASHINGTON'S  REVO  JTTI  i  i  1*1  11  i 

LUTIONARY  SWORD.         °*  Independence,  by  which  we  declared 

(Preserved  in  the  Patent        OUrSClvCS  f  TQQ  f  rom  the  rule   of    the    king 
Office,  Washington.)  Q£  Eng]and  .    next^    he  went  t()    Fnmce    to 

get  aid  for  us.     We  were  then  too  poor  to  pay  our  soldiers  ; 
he  got  the  king  of  France  to  let  us  have  money  to  give  them. 

Franklin  lived  to  see  the  Revo- 
lution  ended  and  America  free. 
When  he  died,  full  of  years  and 
of  honors,  he  was  buried  in  Phil 
adelphia.  Twenty  thousand  peo 
ple  went  to  his  funeral. 

If  you  wish  to  see  what  the 
country  thinks  of  him,  you  have 

Only  tO  look  at  a  large  map  Of  the  FRANKLIN'S  GRAVE  IN  CHRIST  CHURCH 
TT.,     Jr.,  j  ,  BURIAL-GROUND,  PHILADELPHIA. 

United  otates,  and  count  up  how 

many  times  you  find  his  name  on  it.     You  will  find  that 

more  than  two  hundred  counties  and   towns   are   called 

FRANKLIN. 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  QI 

122.  Summary.  —  Benjamin  Franklin  was  born  in  Boston 
nearly  two  hundred  years  ago.  He  went  to  Philadelphia 
when  he  was  seventeen.  He  started  a  newspaper  there, 
opened  the  first  public  library,  and  did  many  other  things 
to  help  the  city.  He  discovered  that  lightning  and  elec 
tricity  are  the  same  thing,  and  he  invented  the  lightning- 
rod  to  protect  buildings.  In  the  Revolution,  he  got  large 
sums  of  money  from  the  king  of  France  to  pay  our  soldiers 
and  to  help  Washington  fight  the  battles  which  ended  in 
making  America  free. 

What  had  Philadelphia  grown  to  be  by  1733  ?  Who  did  a  great  deal  for  Phila 
delphia  ?  Tell  what  you  can  about  Franklin's  newspaper.  What  else  did  he  pub 
lish  ?  What  sayings  did  he  print  in  his  almanac  ?  What  saying  of  Solomon's  did 
Franklin's  father  use  to  repeat  to  him  ?  Did  he  ever  stand  in  the  presence  of  any 
kings  ?  Tell  what  you  can  about  Franklin  as  a  boy.  Where  did  he  live  ?  What 
did  he  do  ?  How  did  he  save  money  to  buy  books  ?  Why  did  he  run  away  ? 
Where  did  he  go  ?  Tell  what  you  can  about  Franklin's  landing  in  Philadelphia  ? 
How  did  Franklin  look  to  Miss  Read?  Where  did  Franklin  find  work  ?  What 
happened  to  him  when  he  went  back  to  Boston  on  a  visit  ?  Why  did  Franklin  go 
to  London  ?  What  did  he  do  there  ?  What  did  they  nickname  him  in  the  printing- 
office  ?  What  did  Franklin  do  after  he  returned  to  Philadelphia  ?  Tell  the  story 
of  the  "  sawdust  pudding."  Tell  about  Franklin's  plan  of  life.  What  did  he  do  for 
Philadelphia  ?  What  experiments  did  Franklin  make  ?  What  about  the  picture 
of  the  king  ?  Tell  the  story  of  the  kite.  What  two  things  did  he  find  out  by  means 
of  this  kite  ?  What  did  he  invent  ?  What  title  did  a  college  in  Scotland  now  give 
him  ?  Did  Franklin  think  that  anything  more  would  be  discovered  about  elec 
tricity  ?  What  two  things  did  Franklin  do  in  the  Revolution  ?  What  is  said  of  his 
funeral  ?  How  many  counties  and  towns  in  the  United  States  are  now  called  by 
his  name  ? 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON 
(1732-1799). 

123.  A  Virginia  boy;  what  he  became;  what  he  learned 
at  school  ;  his  writing-books.  —  In  1732,  when  Franklin  was 
at  work  on  his  newspaper,  a  boy  was  born  on  a  plantation l 

1  Plantation  :  George  Washington  was  born  on  a  plantation  (or  large  estate  cul 
tivated  by  slaves)  on  Bridges  Creek,  a  small  stream  emptying  into  the  Potomac. 
See  map  on  page  94.  Not  long  after  George's  birth  (February  22,  1732),  his 
father  moved  to  an  estate  on  the  Rappahannock  River,  opposite  Fredericksburg. 
See  map  on  page  94  for  this  place  and  Mount  Vernon. 


92  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

in  Virginia  who  was  one  day  to  stand  higher  even  than  the 
Philadelphia  printer. 

That  boy  when  he  grew  up  was  to  be  chosen  leader 
of  the  armies  of  the  Revolution  ;  he  was  to  be  elected  the 
first  president  of  the  United  States  ;  and  before  he  died  he 
was  to  be  known  and  honored  all  over  the  world.  The 
name  of  that  boy  was  George  Washington. 

Washington's  father  died  when  George  was  only  eleven 
years  olcf,  leaving  him,  with  his  brothers  and  sisters,  to  the 
care  of  a  most  excellent  and  sensible  mother.  It  was  that 
mother's  influence  more  than  anything  else  which  made 
George  the  man  he  became. 

George  went  to  a  little  country  school,  where  he  learned 
to  read,  write,  and  cipher.  By  the  time  he  was  twelve,  he 


WASHINGTON'S  SIGNATURE  AT  THE  AGE  OF  12. 

could  write  a  clear,  bold  hand.    In  one  of  his  writing-books 
he  copied  many  good  rules  or  sayings.     Here  is  one  :  — 

124.  Washington's    sports 

and  games ;  playing  at  war  ;     JJ^  to^  Jj^,  fo.  ucw 
"Captain    George."  —  But 
young  Washington  was  not     »*>* 
always  copying  good  say- 
ings;    for   he   was    a    tall, 

1  Celestial :  heavenly,  divine. 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  93 

strong  boy,  fond  of  all  out-door  sports  and  games.  He  was 
a  well-meaning  boy,  but  he  had  a  hot  temper,  and  at  times 
his  blue  eyes  flashed  fire.  In  all  trials  of  strength  and  in 
all  deeds  of  daring,  George  took  the  lead ;  he  could  run 
faster,  jump  further,  and  throw  a  stone  higher  than  any 
one  in  the  school. 

When  the  boys  played  "  soldier,"  they  liked  to  have 
"  Captain  George "  as  commander.  When  he  drew  his 
wooden  sword,  and  shouted  Come  on !  they  would  all  rush 
into  battle  with  a  wild  hurrah.  Years  afterward,  when  the 
real  war  came,  and  George  Washington  drew  his  sword  in 
earnest,  some  of  his  school  companions  may  have  fought 
under  their  old  leader. 

125.  The  great  battle  with  the  colt,  and  what  came  of  it. 
—  Once,  however,  Washington  had  a  battle  of  a  different 
kind.  It  was  with  a  high-spirited  colt  which  belonged 
to  his  mother.  Nobody  had  ever  been  able  to  do  any 
thing  with  that  colt,  and  most  people  were  afraid  of  him. 
Early  one  morning,  George  and 
some  of  his  brothers  were  out  in 
the  pasture.  George  looked  at 
the  colt  prancing  about  and  kick 
ing  up  his  heels.  Then  he  said  : 
"  Boys,  if  you'll  help  me  put  a 

bridle  on  him,  I'll  ride  him."     The    *ASHU«™*  H 

boys  managed  to  get  the  colt  into  a  corner  and  to  slip  on 
the  bridle.  With  a  leap,  George  seated  himself  firmly  on 
his  back.  Then  the  fun  began.  The  colt,  wild  with  rage, 
ran,  jumped,  plunged,  and  reared  straight  up  on  his  hind 
legs,  hoping  to  throw  his  rider  off.  It  was  all  useless  ;  he 
might  as  well  have  tried  to  throw  off  his  own  skin,  for 
the  boy  stuck  to  his  back  as  though  he  had  grown  there. 
Then,  making  a  last  desperate  bound  into  the  air,  the  ani- 


94  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

mal  burst  a  blood-vessel  and  fell  dead.  The  battle  was 
over,  George  was  victor,  but  it  had  cost  the  life  of  Mrs. 
Washington's  favorite  colt. 

When  the  boys  went  in  to  breakfast,  their  mother, 
knowing  that  they  had  just  come  from  the  pasture,  asked 
how  the  colt  was  getting  on.  "  He  is  dead,  madam,"  said 
George  ;  "  I  killed  him."  "  Dead ! " 
exclaimed  his  mother.  "  Yes, 
madam,  dead,"  replied  her  son. 
Then  he  told  her  just  how  it  hap 
pened.  When  Mrs.  Washington 
heard  the  story,  her  face  flushed 

STONE  MARKING  WASHINGTON'S 

BIRTHPLACE;  THE  HOUSE  is  with  anger.  Then,  waiting  a  mo- 
ment,  she  looked  steadily  at  George, 

and  said  quietly,  "  While  I  regret  the  loss  of  my  favorite, 
I  rejoice  in  my  son,  who  always  speaks  the  truth." 

126.  Washington  goes  on  a  visit  to  Mount  Vernon;  he 
makes  the  acquaintance  of  Lord  Fairfax.  —  George's  eldest 
brother,  Lawrence  Washington,  had  married  the  daughter 
of  a  gentleman  named  Fairfax,1  who  lived  on  the  banks 
of  the  Potomac.  Lawrence  had  a  fine  estate  a  few  miles 
above,  on  the  same  river ;  he  called  his  place  Mount  Ver 
non.  When  he  was  fourteen,  George  went  to  Mount 
Vernon  to  visit  his  brother. 

Lawrence  Washington  took  George  down  the  river  to 
call  on  the  Fairfaxes.  There  the  lad  made  the  acquaint 
ance  of  Lord  Fairfax,  an  English  nobleman  who  had  come 
over  from  London.  He  owned  an  immense  piece  of  land 
in  Virginia.  Lord  Fairfax  and  George  soon  became  great 
friends.  He  was  a  gray-haired  man  nearly  sixty,  but  he 
enjoyed  having  this  boy  of  fourteen  as  a  companion. 

1  Fairfax.  This  was  the  Hon.  William  Fairfax;  he  was  cousin  to  Lord  Fairfax, 
and  he  had  the  care  of  Lord  Fairfax's  land. 


IT  has  been  thought 
best  to  number  the 
French  Forts  instead 
of  giving  their  names. 
No.  4,  Ft.  Duquesne, 
t.Du-Kane'),  was  the 
most  important:  it 
stood  where  Pittsburg 
now  stands. 


v^— -^  ^vLj-'  •* 

K    B       "   -V  T  A    K    l   °  J 


o 


li 


94 


MAP  ILLUSTRATING  WASHINGTON'S  EARLY  LIFE. 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  95 

They  spent  weeks  together  on  horseback  in  the  fields  and 
woods,  hunting  deer  and  foxes. 

127.  Lord  Fairfax  hires  Washington  to  survey1  his  land; 
how  Washington  lived  in  the  woods ;  the  Indian  war-dance.  — 
Lord  Fairfax's  land  extended  westward  more  than  a  hun 
dred  miles.  It  had  never  been  very  carefully  surveyed ; 
and  he  was  told  that  settlers  were  moving  in  beyond  the 
Blue  Ridge  Mountains,2  and  were  building  log-cabins  on 
his  property  without  asking  leave.  By  the  time  Wash 
ington  was  sixteen,  he  had  learned  surveying;  and  so 
Lord  Fairfax  hired  him  to  measure  his  land  for  him. 
Washington  was '  glad  to  undertake  the  work ;  for  he 
needed  the  money,  and  he  could  earn  in  this  way  from 
five  to  ten  dollars  a  day. 

Early  in  the  spring,  Washington,  in  company  with 
another  young  man,  started  off  on  foot  to  do  this  business. 
They  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains,  and  entered  the 
Valley  of  Virginia,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  valleys  in 
America. 

The  two  young  men  would  work  all  day  in  the  woods 
with  a  long  chain,  measuring  the  land.  When  evening 
came,  Washington  would  make  a  map  of  what  they  had 
measured.  Then  they  would  wrap  themselves  up  in  their 
blankets,  stretch  themselves  on  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a 
tree,  and  go  to  sleep  under  the  stars. 

Every  day  they  shot  some  game — squirrels  or  wild 
turkeys,  or  perhaps  a  deer.  They  kindled  a  fire  with  flint 
and  steel,3  and  roasted  the  meat  on  sticks  held  over  the 
coals.  For  plates  they  had  clean  chips ;  and  as  clean 
chips  could  always  be  got  by  a  few  blows  with  an  axe, 

1  Survey :  to  find  out  the  form,  size,  and  position  of  a  piece  of  land  by  measur 
ing  it  in  certain  ways.  2  See  map  on  page  94. 
3  Flint  and  steel :  see  picture  on  page  57. 


96  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

they  never  washed  any  dishes,  but  just  threw  them  away, 
and  had  a  new  set  for  each  meal. 

While  in  the  Valley  they  met  a  band  of  Indians,  who 
stopped  and  danced  a  war-dance  for  them.  The  music 
was  not  remarkable,  —  for  most  of  it  was  made  by  drumming 


WASHINGTON  SEES  AN  INDIAN  WAR-DANCE. 

on  a  deer-skin  stretched  across  the  top  of  an  old  iron  pot, 
—  but  the  dancing  itself  could  not  be  beat.  The  savages 
leaped  into  the  air,  swung  their  hatchets,  gashed  the  trees, 
and  yelled  till  the  woods  rang. 

When  Washington  returned  from  his  surveying  trip, 
Lord  Fairfax  was  greatly  pleased  with  his  work ;  and  the 
governor  of  Virginia  made  him  one  of  the  public  sur 
veyors.  By  this  means  he  was  able  to  get  work  which 
paid  him  handsomely. 

128.  Washington  at  the  age  of  twenty-one ;  the  French  in 
the  west ;  the  governor  of  Virginia  sends  Washington  to  see 
the  French  commander. —  By  the  time  Washington  was 
twenty-one  he  had  grown  to  be  over  six  feet  in  height. 
He  was  straight  as  an  arrow  and  tough  as  a  whip-lash.  He 
had  keen  blue  eyes  that  seemed  to  look  into  the  very  heart 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  97 

of  things,  and  his  fist  was  like  a  blacksmith's  sledge 
hammer.  He  knew  all  about  the  woods,  all  about  Indians, 
and  he  could  take  care  of  himself  anywhere. 

At  this  time  the  English  settlers  held  the  country  along 
the  seashore  as  far  back  as  the  Alleghany  Mountains.1 
West  of  those  mountains  the  French  from  Canada  were 
trying  to  get  possession  of  the  land.  They  had  made 
friends  with  many  of  the  Indians,  and  they  hoped,  with 
their  help,  to  be  able  to  drive  out  the  English  and  get  the 
whole  country  for  themselves. 

In  order  to  hold  this  land  in  the  west,  the  French  had 
built  several  forts2  south  of  Lake  Erie,  and  they  were 
getting  ready  to  build  some  on  the  Ohio  River.  The 
governor  of  Virginia  was  determined  to  put  a  stop  to  this. 
He  had  given  young  Washington  the  military  title  of 
major;3  he  now  sent  Major  Washington  to  see  the  French 
commander  at  one  of  the  forts  near  Lake  Erie.  Wash 
ington  was  to  tell  the  Frenchman  that  he  had  built  his 
forts  on  land  belonging  to  the  English,  and  that  he  and 
his  men  must  either  leave  or  fight. 

Major  Washington  dressed  himself  like  an  Indian,  and 
attended  by  seven  .  friendly  Indians  and  by  a  white  man 
named  Gist,4  who  knew  the  country  well,  he  set  out  on  his 
journey  through  what  was  called  the  Great  Woods. 

The  entire  distance  to  the  farthest  fort  and  back  was 
about  a  thousand  miles.  Washington  could  go  on  horse 
back  part  of  the  way,  but  there  were  no  regular  roads, 
and  he  had  to  climb  mountains  and  swim  rivers.  After 
several  weeks'  travel  he  reached  the  fort,  but  the  French 
commander  refused  to  give  up  the  land.  He  said  that  he 

1  Alleghany  (Al'le-ga'ni)  :  see  map  on  page  94.     (It  is  also  spelled  Allegheny.) 

2  Forts :  see  map  on  page  94. 

8  Major  (ma'jer)  :  an  officer  in  the  army  next  above  a  captain,  but  below  a 
colonel.  4  Gist  (Jist). 


98  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

and  his  men  had  come  to  stay,  and  that  if  the  English  did 
not  like  it,  they  must  fight. 

129.  The  journey  back ;  the  Indian  guide  ;  how  Washington 
found  his  way  through  the  woods  ;  the  adventure  with  the 
raft.  —  On  the  way  back,  Washington  had  'to  leave  his 
horses  and  come  on  foot  with  Gist  and  an  Indian  guide 
sent  from  the  fort.     This  Indian  guide  was  in  the  pay  of 
the  French,  and  he  intended  to  murder  Washington  in  the 
woods.     One  day  he  shot   at   him  from  behind   a   tree, 
but  luckily  did  not  hit  him.     Then  Washington  and  Gist 
managed  to  get  away  from  him,  and  set  out  to  go  back  to 
Virginia  by  themselves.     There  were  no  paths  through 
the  thick  forest;  but  Washington  had  his  compass  with 
him,  and  with  that  he  could  find  his  way  just  as  the  cap 
tain  of  a  ship  finds  his  at  sea.     When  they  reached  the 
Alleghany  River  they  found  it  full  of  floating  ice.     They 
worked  all  day  and  made  a  raft  of  logs.     As  they  were 

pushing  their  way  across  with 
poles,  Washington's  pole  was 
struck  by  a  big  piece  of  ice 
which  he  says  jerked  him  out 
into  water  ten  feet  deep.  At 
length  the  two  men  managed 
to  get  to  a  little  island,  but  as 
there  was  no  wood  on  it,  they 
could  not  make  a  fire.  The 
weather  was  bitterly  cold,  and 
Washington,  who  was  soaked  to  the  skin,  had  to  take  his 
choice  between  walking  about  all  night,  or  trying  to  sleep 
on  the  frozen  ground  in  his  wet  clothes. 

130.  Major  Washington  becomes  Colonel  Washington ;  Fort 
Necessity;    Braddock's  defeat.  —  When  Major  Washington 
got  back  to  Virginia,  the  governor  made  him  colonel.    With 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


99 


a  hundred  and  fifty  men,  Colonel  Washington  was  ordered 
to  set  out  for  the  west.  He  was  to  "  make  prisoners,  kill 
or  destroy,"  all  Frenchmen  who  should  try  to  get  possession 
of  land  on  the  Ohio  River.  He  built  a  small  log  fort, 
which  he  named  Fort  Necessity.1  Here  the  French  at 
tacked  him.  They  had  five  men  to  his  one.  Colonel 
Washington  fought  like  a  man  who  liked  to  hear  the 
bullets  whistle  past  his  ears,  —  as  he  said  he  did,  —  but  in 
the  end  he  had  to  give  up  the  fort. 

Then  General  Braddock,  a  noted  English  soldier,  was 
sent  over  to  Virginia  by  the  king  to  drive  the  French  out 
of  the  country.     He  started  with  a  fine  army,  and  Washing 
ton  went  with  him.2      He   told 
General     Braddock     that     the 
French  and  the  Indians  would 
hide  in  the  woods  and  fire  at  his 
men  from   behind   trees.      But 
Braddock  paid  no  attention  to 
the    warning.        On     his     way 
through   the    forest,   the   brave 
English   general   was   suddenly 
struck    down    by    the    enemy, 
half   of   his    army    were    killed 
or  wounded,  and  the  rest  put  to 

flight.  Washington  had  two  horses  shot  under  him,  and 
four  bullets  went  through  his  coat.  It  was  a  narrow 
escape  for  the  young  man.  One  of  those  who  fought  in 
the  battle  said,  "  I  expected  every  moment  to  see  him 
fall"  —  but  he  was  to  live  for  greater  work. 

131.   End  of  the  war  with  the  French ;  what  the  king  of 
England  wanted  to  do ;  how  the  people  here  felt  toward  him. 


r 


FALL  OF  GENERAL  BRADDOCK  ON 
THE  BATTLE-FIELD. 


1  Fort  Necessity :  see  map  on  page  94. 

a  See  map  of  Braddock's  march  on  page  94. 


IOO  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

—  The  war  with  the  French  lasted  a  number  of  years.  It 
ended  by  the  English  getting  possession  of  the  whole  of 
America  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  Mississippi  River. 
All  this  part  of  America  was  ruled  by  George  the  Third, 
king  of  England.  The  king  now  determined  to  send  over 
more  soldiers,  and  keep  them  here  to  prevent  the  French 
in  Canada  from  trying  to  get  back  the  country  they  had  lost. 
He  wanted  the  people  here  in  the  thirteen  colonies a  to  pay 
the  cost  of  keeping  these  soldiers.  But  this  the  people 
were  not  willing  to  do,  because  they  felt  that  they  were 
able  to  protect  themselves  without  help  of  any  kind.  Then 
the  king  said,  If  the  Americans  will  not  give  the  money,  I 
will  take  it  from  them  by  force,  —  for  pay  it  they  must 
and  shall.  This  was  more  than  the  king  would  have  dared 
say  about  England ;  for  there,  if  he  wanted  money  to  spend 
on  his  army,  he  had  to  ask  the  people  for  it,  and  they 
could  give  it  or  not  as  they  thought  best.  The  Americans 
said,  We  have  the  same  rights  as  our  brothers  in  England, 
and  the  king  cannot  force  us  to  give  a  single  copper 
against  our  will.  If  he  tries  to  take  it  from  us,  we  will 
fight.  Some  of  the  greatest  men  in  England  agreed  with 
us,  and  said  that  they  would  fight,  too,  if  they  were  in  our 
place. 

132.  The  king  determines  to  have  the  money ;  the  tea-ships, 
and  the  "  Boston  tea-party."  —  But  George  the  Third  did  not 
know  the  Americans,  and  he  did  not  think  that  they  meant 
what  they  said.  He  tried  to  make  them  pay  the  money, 
but  they  would  not.  From  Maine  to  Georgia,  all  the 
people  were  of  one  mind.  Then  the  king  thought  that  he 
would  try  a  different  way.  Shiploads  of  tea  were  sent 
over  to  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and  Charleston. 
If  the  tea  should  be  landed  and  sold,  then  every  man  who 

1  Thirteen  colonies  :  see  note  on  page  75. 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON.,^. ...  ,!?; 

bought  a  pound  of  it  would  have  to  pay  six  cents  more 
than  the  regular  price.  That  six  cents  was  a  tax,  and  it 
went  into  the  king's  pocket.  The  people  said,  We  won't 
pay  that  six  cents.  When  the  tea  reached  New  York,  the 
citizens  sent  it  back  again  to  England.  They  did  the  same 
thing  at  Philadelphia.  At  Charleston  they  let  it  be  landed, 
but  it  was  stored  in  damp  cellars. 
People  would  not  buy  any  of  it  any 
more  than  they  would  buy  so  much 
poison,  so  it  all  rotted  and  spoiled. 
At  Boston  they  had  a  grand 
"tea-party."  A  number  of  men 
dressed  themselves  up  like  Indi 
ans,  went  on  board  the  tea-ships 
at  night,  broke  open  all  the  chests, 
and  emptied  the  tea  into  the  harbor. 

133.  The  king  closes  the  port  of  Boston ;  Congress  meets  at 
Philadelphia ;  the  names  American  and  British  ;  what  General 
Gage  tried  to  do.  —  The  king  was  terribly  angry  ;  and  orders 
were  given  that  the  port  of  Boston  should  be  closed,  so 
that  no  ships,  except  the  king's  war-ships,  should  come  in 
or  go  out.  Nearly  all  trade  stopped  in  Boston.  Many  of 
the  inhabitants  began  to  suffer  for  want  of  food,  but 
throughout  the  colonies  the  people  tried  their  best  to  help 
them.  The  New  England  towns  sent  droves  of  sheep  and 
cattle,  New  York  sent  wheat,  South  Carolina  gave  two 
hundred  barrels  of  rice ;  the  other  colonies  gave  liberally 
in  money  and  provisions.  Even  in  England  much  sympa 
thy  was  felt  for  the  distressed  people  of  Boston,  and  in 
London  a  large  sum  of  money  was  raised  to  help  those 
whom  the  king  was  determined  to  starve  into  submission. 

The  colonies  now  sent  some  of  their  best  men  to  Phila 
delphia  to  consider  what  should  be  done.  As  this  meeting 


'.Q2  T4E  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

was  made  up  of  those  who  had  come  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  it  took  the  name  of  the  General  or  Continental 
Congress.1 

About  this  time,  too,  a  great  change  took  place ;  for  the 
people  throughout  the  country  began  to  call  themselves 
Americans,  and  to  speak  of  the  English  troops  that  the 
king  sent  over  here  as  British  soldiers. 

In  Boston  General  Gage  had  command  of  these  soldiers. 
He  knew  that  the  Americans  were  getting  ready  to  fight, 
and  that  they  had  stored  up  powder  and  ball  at  Concord,2 
about  twenty  miles  from  Boston.  One  night  he  secretly 
sent  out  a  lot  of  soldiers  to  march  to  Concord  and  destroy 
what  they  found  there. 

134.  Paul  Revere ; 3  the  fight  at  Lexington  and  Concord ; 
Bunker  Hill.  —  But  Paul  Revere,  a  Boston  man,  was  on  the 
watch  ;  and  as  soon  as  he  found  out  which  way  the  British 
were  going,  he  set  off  at  a  gallop  for  Lexington,  on  the  road 
to  Concord.  All  the  way  out,  he  roused  people  from  their 
sleep,  with  the  cry,  "  The  British  are  coming !  " 

When  the  king's  soldiers  reached  Lexington,  they  found 
the  Americans,  under  Captain  Parker,  ready  for  them. 
Captain  Parker  said  to  his  men,  "  Don't  fire  unless  you  are 
fired  on;  but  if  they  want  a  war,  let  it  begin  here."  The 
fighting  did  begin  there,  April  iQth,  1775;  and  when  the 
British  left  the  town  on  their  way  to  Concord,  seven 
Americans  lay  dead  on  the  grass  in  front  of  the  village 
church.  At  Concord,  that  same  day,  there  was  still  harder 

1  Congress :  this  word  means  a  meeting  or  assembly  of  persons.     The  General 
or  Continental  Congress  was  an  assembly  of  certain  persons  sent  usually  by  all  of 
the  thirteen  American  colonies  to  meet  at  Philadelphia  or  Baltimore,  to  decide  what 
should  be  done  by  the  whole  country.     The  first  Congress  met  in  1774,  or  shortly 
before  the  Revolution  began,  and  after  that  from  time  to  time  until  near  the  close 
of  the  Revolution. 

2  Concord  (Con'cord).  8  Revere  (Re-veer'). 


102 


PAUL  RHVBRK s  RIDE. 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


103 


fighting ;  and  on  the  way  back  to  Boston,  a  large  number 
of  the  British  were  killed. 

The  next  month,  June  I7th,  1775,  a  battle  was  fought  on 
Bunker  Hill  in  Charlestown,  just  outside  of  Boston.  Gen 
eral  Gage  thought  the  Yankees  wouldn't  fight,  but  they 
did  fight,  in  a  way  that  General  Gage  never  forgot ;  and 
though  they  had  at  last  to  retreat  because  their  powder 
gave  out,  yet  the  British  lost  more  than  a  thousand  men. 
The  contest  at  Bunker  Hill  was  the  first  great  battle  of 
the  Revolution ;  that  is,  of  that  war  which  overturned  the 


WASHINGTON  AT  MOUNT  VERNON. 

British  power  in  America,  and  made  us  a  free  people. 
Many  Englishmen  thought  the  king  was  wrong.  They 
would  not  fight  against  us,  and  he  was  obliged  to  hire  a 
large  number  of  German  soldiers  to  send  to  America. 
These  Germans  had  to  fight  us  whether  they  wanted  to 
or  not,  for  their  king  forced  them  to  come. 


104 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


135.  Colonel  Washington  at  Mount  Vernon ;  Congress  makes 
him  General  Washington,  and  sends  him  to  take  command  of 
the  American  army.  —  At  the  time  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill  was  fought,  Colonel  George  Washington  was  living 
very  quietly  at  Mount  Vernon.  His  brother  Lawrence 
had  died,  and  Mount  Vernon  was  now  his  home.  Wash 
ington  was  very  well  off :  he  had  a  fine  estate  and  plenty 
of  slaves  to  do  the  work  on  it ;  but  when  he  died,  many 
years  later,  he  took  good  care  to  leave  orders  that  all  of  his 
slaves  should  be  set  free  as  soon  as  it  could  be  done. 


WASHINGTON  TAKING  COMMAND  OF  THE  AMERICAN  ARMY  AT  CAMBRIDGE. 

Congress  now  made  Colonel  Washington  general,  and 
sent  him  to  Cambridge,  a  town  just  outside  of  Boston,  to 
take  command  of  the  American  army.  It  was  called  the 
Continental  Army  because  it  was  raised,  not  to  fight  for 
the  people  of  Massachusetts,  but  for  all  the  Americans  on 
the  continent,  north  and  south.  Washington  took  com 
mand  of  the  army  under  a  great  elm,  which  is  still  stand 
ing.  There,  six  months  later,  he  raised  the  first  American 
flag.'_ 

1  See  a  picture  of  this  and  the  other  flags  of  the  Revolution  on  page  m. 


THE 


NORTHERN  STATES  IN  THE 
REVOLUTION, 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  10$ 

136.  American  sharpshooters ; 1  Washington's  need  of  cannon 
and  powder ;  the  attack  on  Canada ;  the  British  driven  out  of 
Boston. —  Men  now  came  from  all  parts  of  the  country  to 
join  the  Continental  Army.  Many  of  them  were  sharp 
shooters.  In  one  case  an  officer  set  up  a  board  with  the 
figure  of  a  man's  nose  chalked  on  it,  for  a  mark.  A  hun 
dred  men  fired  at  it  at  long  distance,  and  sixty  hit  the  nose. 
The  newspapers  gave  them  great  praise  for  their  skill  and 
said,  "Now,  General  Gage,  look  out  for  your  nose." 

Washington  wanted  to  drive  General  Gage  and  the 
British  soldiers  out  of  Boston,  but  for  months  he  could 
not  get  either  cannon  or  powder.  Benjamin  Franklin 
said  that  we  should  have  to  fight  as  the  Indians  used 
to,  with  bows  and  arrows. 


. 

"  Now,  GENERAL  GAGE,  LOOK  OUT  FOR  your  NOSE." 

While  Washington  was  waiting,  a  number  of  Ameri 
cans  marched  against  the  British  in  Canada ;  but  the 
cold  weather  came  on,  and  they  nearly  starved  to  death : 
our  men  would,  sometimes  take  off  their  moccasins2  and 
gnaw  them,  while  they  danced  in  the  snow  to  keep  their 
bare  feet  from  freezing. 

At  last  Washington  got  both  cannon  and  powder.  He 
dragged  the  cannon  up  to  the  top  of  some  high  land  over 
looking  Boston  harbor.  He  then  sent  word  to  General 
Howe,  for  Gage  had  gone,  that  if  he  did  not  leave  Boston 

1  Sharpshooters :  men  who  can  fire  and  hit  a  small  mark  with  a  bullet  at  a  long 
distance.  2  Moccasins  (mok'ka-sins)  :  Indian  shoes  made  of  deerskin. 


106  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


he  would  knock  his  ships  to  pieces.  The  British  saw  that 
they  could  not  help  themselves,  so  they  made  haste  to  get 
on  board  their  vessels  and  sail  away.  They  never  came 
back  to  Boston  again,  but  went  to  New  York. 

137.  The  Declaration  of  Independence;  "Down  with  the 
king!  "  Washington  is  driven  from  New  York  and  across  the 
Delaware  River.  —  Washington  got  to  New  York  first. 
While  he  was  there,  Congress,1  on  the  4th  of  July,  1776, 
declared  the  United  States  independent  —  that  is,  entirely 
free  from  the  rule  of  the  king  of  England.  There  was  a 
gilded  lead  statue  of  King  George  the 
Third  on  horseback  in  New  York. 
When  the  news 
of  what  Congress 
had  done  reached 
that  city,  there  was 
a  great  cry  of 
"  Down  with  the 
king!"  That  night 
some  of  our  men 
pulled  down  the 
statue,  melted  it  up,  and  cast  it  into  bullets. 

The  next  month  there  was  a  battle  on  Long  Island,2 
just  across  from  New  York  City ;  the  British  gained  the 
victory.  Washington  had  to  leave  New  York,  and  Lord 
Cornwallis,  one  of  the  British  generals,  chased  him  and 
his  little  army  clear  across  the  state  of  New  Jersey.  It 
looked  at  one  time  as  though  our  men  would  all  be  taken 
prisoners,  but  Washington  managed  to  seize  a  lot  of  small 
boats  on  the  Delaware  River3  and  get  across  into  Pennsyl 
vania  :  as  the  British  had  no  boats,  they  could  not  follow. 


DOWN  WITH  THE  KING  ! 


1  Congress  :  see  note  on  page  102. 
8  See  map  on  page  104. 


2  See  map  on  page  104. 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


ID/ 


138.  Washington's  victory  at  Trenton,  New  Jersey.  —  Lord 
Cornwallis  left  fifteen  hundred  German  soldiers  at  Trenton 
on  the  Delaware.  He  intended,  as  soon  as  the  river  froze 
over,  to  cross  on  the  ice  and  attack  Washington's  army. 
But  Washington  did  not  wait  for  him.  On  Christmas 
night  (1776)  he  took  a  large  number  of  boats,  filled  them 
with  soldiers,  and  secretly  crossed  over  to  New  Jersey.1 
The  weather  was  intensely  cold,  the  river  was  full  of  float 
ing  ice,  and  a  furious  snow-storm  set  in.  Many  of  our  men 
were  ragged  and  had  only  old  broken  shoes.  They  suf 
fered  terribly,  and  two  of  them  were  frozen  to  death. 


/fS;/;V"/7.  I  |ff|| 

x^;SSK^^/iMmv;;^- 


WASHINGTON  CROSSING  THE  DELAWARE  RIVER. 

The  Germans  at  Trenton  had  been  having  a  jolly  Christ 
mas,  and  had  gone  to  bed,  suspecting  no  danger.  Sud 
denly  Washington,  with  his  men,  rushed  into  the  little 
town,  and  almost  before  they  knew  what  had  happened,  a 
thousand  Germans  were  made  prisoners.  The  rest  escaped 
to  tell  Lord  Cornwallis  how  the  Americans  had  beaten  them. 
When  Washington  was  driven  out  of  New  York,  many 
Americans  thought  he  would  be  captured.  Now  they 

1  See  map  on  page  104 


io8  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

were   filled   with   joy.     The   battle   of   Trenton   was   the 
first  battle  won  by  the  Continental  Army. 

139.  Our  victory  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey;  the  British 
take  Philadelphia  ;  winter  at  Valley  Forge  ;  Burgoyne  heaten ; 
the  king  of  France  agrees  to  help  us.  —  Washington  took  his 
thousand  prisoners  over  into  Pennsylvania.  A  few  days 
later  he  again  crossed  the  Delaware 
into  New  Jersey.  While  Cornwallis 
was  fast  asleep  in  his  tent,  he  slipped 
round  him,  got  to  Princeton,1  and 
there  beat  a  part  of  the  British  army. 
Cornwallis  woke  up  and  heard  Wash 
ington's  cannon.  "  That's  thunder," 
he  said.  He  was  right;  it  was  the  thunder  of  another 
American  victory. 

But  before  the  next  winter  set  in,  the  British  had  taken 
the  city  of  Philadelphia,  then  the  capital  of  the  United 
States.  Washington's  army  was  freezing  and  starving  on 
the  hillsides  of  Valley  Forge,2  about  twenty  miles  north 
west  of  Philadelphia. 

But  good  news  was  coming.  The  Americans  had  won 
a  great  victory  at  Saratoga,  New  York,3  over  the  British 
general,  Burgoyne.4  Dr.  Franklin  was  then  in  Paris. 
When  he  heard  that  Burgoyne  was  beaten,  he  hurried  off 
to  the  palace  of  the  French  king  to  tell  him  about  it.  The 
king  of  France  hated  the  British,  and  he  agreed  to  send 
money,  ships,  and  soldiers  to  help  us.  When  our  men 
heard  that  at  Valley  Forge,  they  leaped  and  hurrahed  for 
joy.  Not  long  after  that  the  British  left  Philadelphia,  and 
we  entered  it  in  triumph. 

1  Princeton  :  see  map  on  page  104. 

2  Valley  Forge  :  see  map  on  page  104. 
8  Saratoga  :  see  map  on  page  104. 

4  Burgoyne  (Bur'goin). 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


109 


140.  The  war  at  the  South  ;  Jasper ;  Cowpens ;  Greene  and 
Cornwallis.  —  While  these  things  were  happening  at  the 
north,  the  British  sent  a  fleet  of  vessels  to  take  Charles 
ton,  South  Carolina.  They  hammered  away  with  their 
big  guns  at  a  little  log  fort  under  command  of  Colonel 
Moultrie.  In  the  battle  a  cannon-ball  struck  the  flag-pole 
on  the  fort,  and  cut  it  in  two.  The  South  Carolina  flag 
fell  to  the  ground  outside  the  fort.  Sergeant1  William 
Jasper  leaped  down,  and,  while  the  British  shot  were  strik 
ing  all  around  him,  seized  the  flag,  climbed  back,  fastened 
it  to  a  short  staff,  and  raised  it  to 
its  place,  to  show  that  the  Ameri 
cans  would  never  give  up  the  fort. 
The  British,  after  fighting  all  day, 
saw  that  they  could  do  nothing 
against  palmetto  logs 2  when  de 
fended  by  such  men  as  Moultrie 
and  Jasper;  so  they  sailed  away 
with  such  of  their  ships  as  had  not 
been  destroyed. 

Several  years  later,  Charleston  was  taken.  Lord  Corn 
wallis  then  took  command  of  the  British  army  in  South 
Carolina.  General  Greene,  of  Rhode  Island,  had  com 
mand  of  the  Americans.  He  sent  Daniel  Morgan  with 
his  sharpshooters  to  meet  part  of  the  British  army  at 
Cowpens  ; 3  they  did  meet  them,  and  sent  them  flying. 
Then  Cornwallis  determined  to  whip  General  Greene  or 
drive  him  out  of  the  state.  But  General  Greene  worried 
Cornwallis  so  that  at  last  he  was  glad  enough  to  get 

1  Sergeant  (sar'jent)  :  a  military  officer  of  low  rank. 

2  Pa'metto  logs :   the  wood  of  the  palmetto  tree  is  very  soft  and  spongy ;  the 
cannon-balls,  when  they  struck,  would  bury   themselves  in  the  logs,  but  would 
neither  break  them  to  pieces  nor  go  through  them. 

8  Cowpens :  see  map  on  page  no. 


no  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

into  Virginia.  He  had  found  North  and  South  Carolina 
like  two  hornets'  nests,  and  the  further  he  got  away 
from  those  hornets,  the  better  he  was  pleased. 

141.  Cornwallis   and   Benedict   Arnold ;    Lafayette ;    Corn- 
wallis  shuts  himself  up  in  Yorktown.  —  When  Lord  Corn 
wallis  g"ot  into  Virginia  he  found  Benedict  Arnold  waiting 
to  help  him.     Arnold  had  been  a  general  in  the  American 
army  ;  Washington  gave  him  the  command  of  the  fort  at 
West   Point,  on   the   Hudson   River,1  and  trusted  him  as 
though  he  was  his  brother.      Arnold  deceived  him,  and 
secretly  offered  to  give  up  the  fort  to  the   British.     We 
call  a  man  who  is  false  to  his  friends  and  to  his  country  a 
traitor  :  it  is  the  most  shameful  name  we  can  fasten  on 
him.     Arnold  was  a  traitor  ;  and  if  we  could  have  caught 
him,  we  should   have   hanged   him  ;   but  he  was  cunning 
enough  to  run  away  and  escape  to  the  British.     Now  he 
was  burning  houses  and  towns  in  Virginia,  and  doing  all 
that  he  could  —  as  a  traitor  always  will  —  to  destroy  those 
who  had  once  been  his  best  friends.     He  wanted  to  stay 
in  Virginia  and  assist  Cornwallis  ;  but  that  general  was  a 
brave  and  honorable  man:   he  despised  Arnold,  and  did 
not  want  to  have  anything  to  do  with  him. 

A  young  nobleman  named  Lafayette 2  had  come  over 
from  France  on  purpose  to  help  us  against  the  British. 
Cornwallis  laughed  at  him  and  called  him  a  "  boy  "  ;  but 
he  found  that  General  Lafayette  was  a  "  boy  "  who  knew 
how  to  fight.  The  British  commander  moved  toward  the 
seacoast ;  Lafayette  followed  him  ;  at  length  Cornwallis 
shut  himself  up  with  his  army  in  Yorktown.3 

142.  Washington  marches  against  Yorktown,  and  takes  it  and 
the  army  of  Cornwallis.  —  Washington,  with  his  army,  was 

1  West  Point :  see  map  on  page  104.  2  Lafayette  (Lah-fay-et'). 

3  Yorktown :  see  map  on  page  no. 


P  L 


r> 


No.  2, 

•    THE  SOUTHERN  STATES  IN  THE 
REVOLUTION, 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


Ill 


then  near  New  York  City,  watching  the  British  there.  The 
French  king  had  done  as  he  agreed,  and  had  sent  over  war 
ships  and  soldiers  to  help  us ;  but  so  far  they  had  never 


THE  FLAGS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 


been  able  to  do  much.     Now  was  the  chance.     Before  the 
British  knew  what  Washington  was  about,  he  had  sent 

1  The  flag  with  the  large  crosses  on  it,  on  the  left,  is  the  English  flag  at  the  time 
of  the  American  Revolution.  The  flag  on  the  right  is  that  which  Washington 
raised  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  January  131,1776.  He  simply  took  the  English 
flag,  and  added  thirteen  stripes  to  represent  tne  union  of  the  thirteen  English  col 
onies.  The  flag  in  the  centre,  with  its  thirteen  stars  and  thirteen  stripes  represent 
ing  the  thirteen  states,  is  the  first  American  national  flag.  It  was  adopted  by 
Congress  June  I4th,  1777,  not  quite  a  year  after  we  had  declared  ourselves  inde 
pendent  of  Great  Britain.  Beneath  this  flag  is  Washington's  coat  of  arms  with  a 
Latin  motto,  meaning  "The  event  justifies  the  deed."  It  is  possible  that  the  stars 
and  stripes  on  our  national  flag  came  from  the  stars  and  stripes  (or  bars)  on  this 
ancient  coat  of  arms,  which  may  be  seen  on  the  tombstone  of  one  of  the  Washing 
ton  family,  buried  in  1583,  in  the  parish  church  at  Sulgrave,  Northamptonshire, 
England. 


112 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


the  French  war-ships  down  to  Yorktown  to  prevent  Corn- 
wallis  from  getting  away  by  sea.  Then,  with  his  own  army 
and  some  French  soldiers  besides,  Washington  quickly 
marched  south  to  attack  Yorktown  by  land. 

When  he  got  there  he  placed  his  cannon  round  the  town, 
and  began  battering  it  to  pieces.  For  more  than  a  week 
he  kept  firing  night  and  day.  One  house  had  over  a  thou 
sand  balls  go  through  it.  Its  walls  looked  like  a  sieve. 
At  last  Cornwallis  could  not  hold  out  any  longer,  and  on 
October  iQth,  1781,  his  army  came  out  and  gave  themselves 
up  as  prisoners. 

The  Americans  formed  a  line  more  than  a  mile  long  on 
one  side  of  the  road,  and  the  French  stood  facing  them 
on  the  other  side.  The  French  had  on  gay  clothes,  and 
looked  very  handsome ;  the  clothes  of  Washington's  men 
were  patched  and  faded,  but  their  eyes  shone  with  a  won 
derful  light —  the  light  of  victory.  The  British  marched 
out  slowly,  between  the  two  lines :  somehow  they  found  it 
pleasanter  to  look  at  the  bright  uniforms  of  the  French, 
than  to  look  at  the  eyes  of  the  Americans. 

143.  How  the  news  of  the  taking  of  Yorktown  was  carried  to 
Philadelphia ;  Lord  Fairfax.  —  People  at  a  distance  noticed 

that  the  cannon  had 
suddenly  stopped  fir 
ing.  They  looked  at 
each  other,  and  asked, 
"What  does  it  mean?" 
All  at  once  a  man 
appears  on  horse 
back.  He  is  riding 

"  CORNWALLIS  is  TAKEN!"  .  ,          ..     .  .  •      i    . 

with   all   his    might 

toward  Philadelphia,  where  Congress  is.  As  he  dashes 
past,  he  rises  in  his  stirrups,  swings  his  cap,  and  shouts 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


HOISTING  THE  STARS  AND  STRIPKS 
AT  NEW  YORK. 


with  all  his  might,  "  Cornwallis 
is  taken  !  Cornwallis  is  taken  !  " 
Then  it  was  the  people's  turn 
to  shout ;  and  they  made  the 
hills  ring  with,  "  Hurrah  !  Hur 
rah  !  Hurrah!" 

Poor  Lord  Fairfax,1  Washing 
ton's  old  friend,  had  always 
stood  by  the  king.  He  was  now 
over  ninety.  When  he  heard 
the  cry,  "  Cornwallis  is  taken  !  " 
it  was  too  much  for  the  old 
man.  He  said  to  his  negro  ser 
vant,  "  Come,  Joe  ;  carry  me  to 
bed,  for  I'm  sure  it's  high  time 
for  me  to  die." 

144.  Tearing  down  the  British 
flag  at  New  York ;  Washington 
goes  back  to  Mount  Vernon ;  he 
is  elected  President ;  his  death ; 
Lafayette  visits  his  tomb.  —  The 
Revolutionary  War  had  lasted 
seven  years,  —  terrible  years 
they  were,  years  of  sorrow,  suf 
fering,  and  death,  —  but  now  the 
end  had  come,  and  America  wras 
free.  When  the  British  left 
New  York  City,  they  nailed  the 
'British  flag  to  a  high  pole  on 
the  wharf  ;  but  a  Yankee  sailor 
soon  climbed  the  pole,  tore  down 
the  flag  of  England,  and  hoisted 
the  stars  and  stripes  in  its  place. 

1  See  page  94. 


114 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


That  was  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago.  Now  the  Eng 
lish  and  the  Americans  have  become  good  friends,  and  the 
English  people  see  that  the  Revolution  ended  in  the  way 
that  was  best  for  both  of  us. 


PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON'S  COACH. 

When  it  was  clear  that  there  would  be  no  more  fighting, 
Washington  went  back  to  Mount  Vernon.  He  hoped  to 
spend  the  rest  of  his  life  there.  But  the  country  needed 
him,  and  a  few  years  later  it  chose  him  the  first  President 
of  the  United  States. 

Washington  was  made  President  in  New  York  City, 
which  was  the  capital  of  the 
United  States  at  that  time.  A 
French  gentleman  who  was  there 
tells  us  how  Washington,  stand 
ing  in  the  presence  of  thousands 
of  people,  placed  his  hand  on 
the  Bible,  and  solemnly  swore 
that  with  the  help  of  God  he 
would  protect  and  defend  the 
United  States  of  America. 

Washington  was  elected  Presi 
dent  twice.  When  he  died  many 
of  the  people  in  England  and  France  joined  America  in 
mourning  for  him ;  for  all  men  honored  his  memory. 


PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON  TAKING 
THE  OATH. 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  1 15 

Lafayette  came  over  to  visit  us  many  years  afterward. 
He  went  to  Mount  Vernon,  where  Washington  was  buried. 
There    he   went    down   into   the 
vault,  and,  kneeling  by  the  side 
of    the    coffin,   covered    his    face        TL^ 
with  his  hands,  and  shed  tears  of     - 
gratitude    to   think   that   he   had 
known  such  a  man  as  Washing 
ton,   and    that    Washington    had 
been  his  friend. 

145.  Summary.  —  George  Washington,  the  son  of  a  Vir 
ginia  planter,  became  the  leader  of  the  armies  of  the  United 
States  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  At  the  close  of  the 
war,  after  he  had  made  America  free,  he  was  elected  our 
first  President.  His  name  stands  to-day  among  those  of 
the  greatest  men  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

When  and  where  was  George  Washington  born  ?  What  did  he  learn  at  school  ? 
What  did  he  write  in  one  of  his  writing-books  ?  Tell  about  his  sports  and  games 
at  school.  What  is  said  of  "  Captain  George "  ?  Tell  the  story  about  the  colt. 
What  did  George's  mother  say?  Tell  about  George's  visit  to  his  brother  and  to 
the  Fairfaxes.  What  is  said  of  Lord  Fairfax  ?  What  did  he  hire  Washington  to 
do  ?  Tell  about  his  surveying  and  his  life  in  the  woods.  Tell  about  the  Indian  war- 
dance.  What  did  the  governor  of  Virginia  do  when  Washington  returned  ?  What 
is  said  of  Washington  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  ?  Tell  about  his  journey  to  the 
French  forts  and  his  return.  What  is  said  about  the  Indian  guide  ?  What  about 
the  raft  ?  What  did  the  governor  of  Virginia  do  when  Washington  returned  ? 
What  did  the  governor  order  him  to  do  ?  What  about  Fort  Necessity  ?  Tell 
about  General  Braddock,  and  about  what  happened  to  Washington.  What  is  said 
about  the  end  of  the  war  ?  What  did  King  George  the  Third  determine  to  do  ? 
What  did  the  king  want  the  Americans  to  do  ?  How  did  they  feel  ?  What  did  the 
king  say  ?  What  did  the  Americans  say  to  that?  What  did  some  of  the  greatest 
men  in  England  say?  What  did  the  king  then  try  to  do?  Tell  about  the  tea- 
ships.  What  happened  in  Boston  ?  What  was  done  to  Boston  ?  What  help  did 
the  people  of  Boston  get  ?  What  did  the  colonies  now  do  ?  What  did  the  people 
now  begin  to  call  themselves  ?  What  did  they  call  the  English  troops  ? 

Who  commanded  the  British  soldiers  in  Boston  ?  What  did  he  do  ?  What 
about  Paul  Revere  ?  What  did  Captain  Parker  of  Lexington  say  to  his  men  ? 
What  happened  at  Lexington  and  at  Concord  ?  Tell  about  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill.  What  did  many  Englishmen  refuse  to  do  ?  Where  was  Colonel  Washing 
ton  living  ?  What  did  Congress  do  ?  Where  did  Washington  take  command  of 
the  army  ?  Tell  about  the  sharpshooters.  Tell  about  the  march  to  Canada.  How 
did  Washington  take  Boston  ?  Where  did  the  British  go  ?  Where  did  Washing 
ton  go  ?  What  did  Congress  do  on  July  4th,  1776  ?  What  happened  in  New  York  ? 
What  about  the  battle  of  Long  Island  ?  What  did  Cornwallis  do  ?  Tell  about  the 
victory  at  Trenton.  What  happened  at  Princeton  ?  What  city  did  the  British 


n6 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


take  ?  Where  was  Washington's  army  ?  What  happened  at  Saratoga  ?  What 
did  the  king  of  France  do  ?  What  happened  at  the  south  ?  Tell  about  Sergeant 
Jasper.  What  is  said  about  General  Greene  ?  What  did  Cornwallis  do  ?  Where 
did  he  go  ?  What  is  said  about  Benedict  Arnold  ?  What  about  Lafayette  ?  Where 
did  Cornwallis  shut  himself  up  with  his  army  ?  What  did  Washington  do  ?  Tell 
about  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis.  How  was  the  news  carried  to  Philadelphia  ? 
What  is  said  of  Lord  Fairfax  ?  How  long  had  the  war  lasted  ?  What  was  done 
at  New  York  ?  Wrhat  is  said  of  General  Washington  after  the  war  ?  Tell  how  he 
was  made  President.  What  happened  when  he  died  ?  What  is  said  of  Lafayette  ? 


DANIEL    BOONE 
(1734-1820). 

146.  Daniel  Boone;  what  the  hunters  of  the  west  did; 
Boone's  life  in  North  Carolina.  —  Before  Washington  began 
to  fight  the  battles  of  the  Revolution  in  the  east,  Daniel 
Boone  and  other  famous  hunters  were  fighting  bears  and 
Indians  in  what  was  then  called  the  west.  By  that  war 
in  the  woods,  these  brave  and  hardy  men  helped  us  to  get 

possession  of   that  part  of 
the  country. 

Daniel  Boone  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania.1  His  father 
moved  to  North  Carolina,2 
and  Daniel  helped  him  cut 
down  the  trees  round  their 
log  cabin  in  the  forest.  He 
ploughed  the  land,  which  was 
thick  with  stumps,  hoed  the 
corn  that  grew  up  among 

BOONE  POUNDING  CORN. 

those  stumps,  and  then,  —  as 
there  was  no  mill  near,  —  he  pounded  it  into  meal  for 

1  He  was  born  in  either  Bucks  or  Berks  County,  Pennsylvania  —  authorities  do 
not  agree  on  this  point. 

2  He  settled  near  Wilkesboro,  on  the  banks  of  the  Yadkin  River ;  see  map  on  p.  1 19. 


DANIEL    BOONE. 


117 


"johnny-cake."  He  learned  how  to  handle  a  gun  quite  as 
soon  as  he  did  a  hoe.  The  unfortunate  deer  or  coon  that 
saw  young  Boone  coming  toward  him  knew  that  he  had 
seen  his  best  days,  and  that  he  would  soon  have  the  whole 
Boone  family  sitting  round  him  at  the  dinner-table. 

147.  Boone's  wanderings  in  the  western  forests  ;  his  bear 
tree.  —  When  Daniel  had  grown  to  manhood,  he  wandered 
off  with  his  gun  on  his  shoulder,  and  crossing  the  mountains, 
entered  what  is  now  the  state  of  Tennessee.     That  whole 
country  was  then  a  wilderness,  full  of  savage  beasts  and 
still  more  savage  Indians ;  and  Boone  had  many  a  sharp 
fight  with  both. 

More  than  a  hundred  and  thirty  years 
ago,  he  cut  these  words  on  a  beech-tree, 
still  standing  in  Eastern  Tennessee,1  — 
"  D.  Boon  killed  a  bar  on  (this)  tree  in 
the  year  1760."  You  will  see  if  you 
examine  the  tree,  on  which  the  words 
can  still  be  read,  that  Boone  could  not 
spell  very  well ;  but  he  could  do  what 
the  bear  minded  a  good  deal  more,  —  he 
could  shoot  to  kill. 

148.  Boone  goes  hunting  in  Kentucky ; 
what   kind  of  game  he  found  there ;   the 
Indians;  the  "Dark  and  Bloody  Ground." 
—  Nine  years  after  he  cut  his  name  on 
that  tree,  Boone,  with  a  few  companions, 

went   to   a   new   part   of    the   country.      BooNE>s  BEAR  TREE- 
The  Indians  called  it  Kentucky.     There  he  saw  buffalo, 
deer,  bears,  and  wolves  enough  to  satisfy  the  best  hunter 
in  America. 


1  The  tree  is  still  standing  on  the  banks  of  Boone's  Creek,  near  Jonesboro, 
Washington  County,  Tennessee. 


n8  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

This  region  was  a  kind  of  No  Man's  Land,  because, 
though  many  tribes  of  Indians  roamed  over  it,  none  of 
them  pretended  to  own  it.  These  bands  of  Indians  were 
always  fighting  and  trying  to  drive  each  other  out,  so 
Kentucky  was  often  called  the  "  Dark  and  Bloody  Ground." 
But,  much  as  the  savages  hated  each  other,  they  hated  the 
white  men,  or  the  "  pale-faces,"  as  they  called  them,  still 
more. 

149.  Indian  tricks  ;  the  owls.  —  The  hunters  were  on  the 
lookout  for  these  Indians,  but  the  savages  practised  all  kinds 
of  tricks  to  get  the  hunters  near  enough  to  shoot  them. 
Sometimes  Boone  would  hear  the  gobble  of  a  wild  turkey. 
He  would  listen  a  moment,  then  he  would  say,  That  is  not 
a  wild  turkey,  but  an  Indian,  imitating  that  bird ;  but  he 
won't  fool  me  and  get  me  to  come  near  enough  to  put  a 
bullet  through  my  head. 

One  evening  an  old  hunter,  on  his  way  to  his  cabin, 
heard  what  seemed  to  be  two  young  owls  calling  to  each 
other.  But  his  quick  ear  noticed  that  there  was  something 
not  quite  natural  in  their  calls,  and  what  was  stranger  still, 
that  the  owls  seemed  to  be  on  the  ground  instead  of  being 
perched  on  trees,  as  all  weli-behaved  owls  would  be.  He 
crept  cautiously  along  through  the  bushes  till  he  saw 
something  ahead  which  looked  like  a  stump.  He  didn't 
altogether  like  the  looks  of  the  stump.  He  aimed  his  rifle 
at  it,  and  fired.  The  stump,  or  what  seemed  to  be  one, 
fell  over  backward  with  a  groan.  He  had  killed  an  Indian, 
who  had  been  waiting  to  kill  him. 

150.  Boone  makes  the  "Wilderness  Road,"  and  builds  the  fort 
at  Boonesboro'.  —  In  1775  Boone,  with  a  party  of  thirty  men, 
chopped  a  path  through  the  forest  from  the  mountains  of 
Eastern  Tennessee  to  the   Kentucky   River,1  a   distance 

1  See  map  on  page  119. 


DANIEL    BOONE.  I  1 9 

of  about  two  hundred  miles.  This  was  the  first  path  in 
that  part  of  the  country  leading  to  the  great  west.  It  was 
called  the  "  Wilderness  Road"  Over  that  road,  which 
thousands  of  emigrants  travelled  afterward,  Boone  took 
his  family,  with  other  settlers,  to  the  Kentucky  River. 
There  they  built  a  fort  called  Boonesboro'.  That  fort  was 
a  great  protection  to  all  the  first  settlers  in  Kentucky.  In 
fact,  it  is  hard  to  see  how  the  state  could  have  grown  up 
without  it.  So  in  one  way,  we  can  say  with  truth  that 
Daniel  Boone,  the  hunter,  fighter,  and  road-maker,  was  a 
state-builder  besides. 


MAP  SHOWING  BOONE'S  "WILDERNESS  ROAD." 

151.  Boone's  daughter  is  stolen  by  the  Indians;  how  he 
found  her.  —  One  day  Boone's  young  daughter  was  out, 
with  two  other  girls,  in  a  canoe  on  the  river.  Suddenly 
some  Indians  pounced  on  them  and  carried  them  off. 

One  of  the  girls,  as  she  went  along,  broke  off  twigs 
from  the  bushes,  so  that  her  friends  might  be  able  to  fol 
low  her  track  through  the  woods.  An  Indian  caught  her 
doing  it,  and  told  her  that  he  would  kill  her  if  she  did  not 


120  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

instantly  stop.     Then  she  slyly  tore  off  small  bits  of  her 
dress,  and  dropped  a  piece  from  time  to  time. 

Boone  and  his  men  followed  the  Indians  like  blood 
hounds.  They  picked  up  the  bits  of  dress,  and  so  easily 
found  which  way  the  savages  had  gone.  They  came  up 
with  the  Indians  just  as  they  were  sitting  down  round  a 
fire  to  eat  their  supper.  Creeping  toward  them  behind  the 
trees  as  softly  as  a  cat  creeps  up  behind  a  mouse,  Boone 
and  his  men  aimed  their  rifles  and  fired.  Two  of  the 
Indians  fell  dead,  the  rest  ran  for  their  lives,  and  the  girls 
were  carried  back  in  safety  to  the  fort. 

152.  Boone  is  captured  by  Indians;  they  adopt  him  as  a 
son.  —  Later,  Boone  himself  was  caught  and  carried  off  by 
the  Indians.     They  respected  his   courage  so  much  that 
they  would  not  kill  him,  but  decided  to  adopt  him  ;  that  is, 
take  him  into  the  tribe  as  one  of  their  own  people,  or  make 
an  Indian  of  him. 

They  pulled  out  all  his  hair  except  one  long  lock, 
called  the  "  scalp-lock,"  which  they  left  to  grow  in  Indian 
fashion.  The  squaws1  and  girls  braided  bright  feathers  in 
this  lock,  so  that  Boone  looked  quite  gay.  Then  the 
Indians  took  him  down  to  a  river.  There  they  stripped 
him,  and  scrubbed  him  with  all  their  might,  to  get  his 
white  blood  out,  as  they  said.  Next,  they  painted  his  face 
in  stripes  with  red  and  yellow  clay,  so  that  he  looked,  as 
they  thought,  handsomer  than  he  ever  had  before  in  his 
life.  When  all  had  been  done,  and  they  were  satisfied 
with  the  appearance  of  their  new  Indian,  they  sat  down  to 
a  great  feast,  and  made  merry. 

153.  Boone  escapes,  but  the  Indians  find  him  again ;  what  a 
handful  of  tobacco  dust  did.  —  After  a  time  Boone  managed 
to  escape,  but  the  Indians  were  so  fond  of  him  that  they 

1  Squaws :  Indian  women. 


DANIEL    BOONE. 


121 


could  not  rest  till  they  found  him  again.  One  day  he  was 
at  work  in  a  kind  of  shed  drying  some  tobacco  leaves.  He 
heard  a  slight  noise,  and  turning  round  saw  four  Indians 
with  their  guns  pointed  at  him.  "  Now,  Boone,"  said  they, 
"  we  got  you.  You  no  get  away 
this  time."  "  How  are  you  ?"  said 
Boone,  pleasantly;  "glad  to  see 
you ;  just  wait  a  minute  till  I  get 
you  some  of  my  tobacco."  He 
gathered  two  large  handfuls  of  the 
leaves  :  they  were  as  dry  as  powder 
and  crumbled  to  dust  in  his  hands. 
Coming  forward,  as  if  to  give  the 
welcome  present  to  the  Indians,  he 
suddenly  sprang  on  them  and  filled 
their  eyes,  mouths,  and  noses  with 
the  stinging  tobacco  dust.  The  sav 
ages  were  half  choked  and  nearly  BOONE'S  FORT,  AT  BOONESBORO-, 
blinded.  While  they  were  dancing 

about,  coughing,  sneezing,  and  rubbing  their  eyes,  Boone 
slipped  out  of  the  shed  and  got  to  a  place  of  safety.  The 
Indians  were  mad  as  they  could  be,  yet  they  could  hardly 
help  laughing  at  Boone's  trick;  for  cunning  as  the  red 
men  were,  he  was  more  cunning  still. 

154.  Boone's  old  age ;  he  moves  to  Missouri ;  he  begs  for  a 
piece  of  land ;  his  grave.  —  Boone  lived  to  be  a  very  old 
man.  He  had  owned  a  good  deal  of  land  in  the  west,  but 
he  had  lost  possession  of  it.  When  Kentucky  began  to 
fill  up  with  people  and  the  game  was  killed  off,  Boone 
moved  across  the  Mississippi  into  Missouri.  He  said  that 
he  went  because  he  wanted  "  more  elbow  room "  and  a 
chance  to  hunt  buffalo  again. 

He  now  begged  the  state  of  Kentucky  to  give  him  a 


122  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

small  piece  of  land,  where,  as  he  said,  he  could  "  lay  his 
bones."  The  people  of  that  state  generously  helped  him 
to  get  nearly  a  thousand  acres ;  but  he  appears  to  have 
soon  lost  possession  of  it.  If  he  actually  did  lose  it,  then 
this  brave  old  hunter,  who  had  opened  up  the  way  for 
such  a  multitude  of  emigrants  to  get  farms  at  the  west, 
died  without  owning  a  piece  of  ground  big  enough  for  a 
grave.  He  is  buried  in  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  within  sight 
of  the  river  on  which  he  built  his  fort  at  Boonesboro'. 

155.  Summary.  —  Daniel  Boone,  a  famous  hunter  from 
North  Carolina,  opened  up  a  road  through  the  forest,  from 
the  mountains  of  Eastern  Tennessee  to  the  Kentucky 
River.  It  was  called  the  "  Wilderness  Road,"  and  over 
it  thousands  of  emigrants  went  into  Kentucky  to  settle. 
Boone,  with  others,  built  the  fort  at  Boonesboro',  Ken 
tucky,  and  went  there  to  live.  That  fort  protected  the 
settlers  against  the  Indians,  and  so  helped  that  part  of  the 
country  to  grow  until  it  became  the  state  of  Kentucky. 

Tell  about  Daniel  Boone.  How  did  he  help  his  father  ?  Where  did  he  go  when 
he  became  a  man  ?  What  did  he  cut  on  a  beech  tree  ?  Where  did  he  go  after 
that?  What  is  said  of  the  Indians  in  Kentucky  ?  Tell  about  Indian  tricks.  Tell 
about  the  two  owls.  Tell  about  the  Wilderness  Road.  What  is  said  of  the  fort  at 
Boonesboro'  ?  Tell  how  Boone's  daughter  and  the  other  girls  were  stolen  by  the 
Indians.  What  happened  next?  Tell  how  Boone  was  captured  by  the  Indians 
and  how  they  adopted  him.  Tell  the  story  of  the  tobacco  dust.  What  did  Boone 
do  when  he  became  old  ?  What  did  Kentucky  get  for  him  ?  Where  is  he  buried  ? 


GENERAL  JAMES  ROBERTSON  AND  GOVERNOR 
JOHN  SEVIER1 

(1742-1814;  1745-1815). 

156.  Who  James  Robertson  was  ;  Governor  Tryon ;  the  battle 
of  Alamance.2  —  When  Daniel  Boone  first  went  to  Kentucky 

1  Sevier  (Se-veer')  :  he  was  born  in  Rockingham  County,  Virginia. 
-  Alamance  River  (Al'a-mance) :  see  map  on  page  119. 


GENERAL  JAMES  ROBERTSON. 


123 


(1769)  he  had  a  friend  named  James  Robertson,  in  North 
Carolina1  who  was,  like  himself,  a  mighty  hunter.  The 
British  governor  of  North  Carolina  at  that  time  was  Wil 
liam  Tryon.  He  lived  in  a  palace  built  with  money  which 
he  had  forced  the  people  to  give  him.  They  hated  him  so 
for  his  greed  and  cruelty  that  they  nicknamed  him  the 
"Great  Wolf  of  North  Carolina." 

At  last  many  of  the  settlers  vowed  that  they  would  not 
give  the  governor  another  penny.  When  he  sent  tax-col 
lectors  to  get  money, 
they  drove  them  back, 
and  they  flogged  one  j« 
of  the  governor's  ,;: 
friends  with  a  raw 
hide  till  he  had  to 
run  for  his  life. 

The  governor  then 
collected  some  sol 
diers  and  marched 
against  the  people  in 
the  west.  A  battle 
was  fought  near  the 
Alamance  River. 
The  governor  had  the 
most  men  and  had 
cannon  besides,  so  he 
gained  the  day.  He 
took  seven  of  the 
people  prisoners  and  hanged  them.  They  all  died  bravely, 
as  men  do  who  die  for  liberty. 

1  Robertson  was  born  in  Brunswick  County,  Virginia;  he  emigrated  to 
North  Carolina  and  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Raleigh.  See  map  on 
page  119. 


ROBERTSON  WITH  HIS  PARTY  CROSSING  THE  MOUNTAINS 
ON  THEIR  WAY  TO  TENNESSEE. 


X24  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

157.  James  Robertson  leaves  North  Carolina  and  goes  west.  — 

After  the  battle  of  Alamance  James  Robertson  and  his 
family  made  up  their  minds  that  they  would  not  live 
any  longer  where  Governor  Tryon  ruled.  They  resolved 
to  go  across  the  mountains  into  the  western  wilderness. 
Sixteen  other  families  joined  Robertson's  and  went  with 
them.  It  was  a  long,  hard  journey ;  for  they  had  to 
climb  rocks  and  find  their  way  through  deep,  tangled 
woods.  The  men  went  ahead  with  their  axes  and  their 
guns ;  then  the  older  children  followed,  driving  the  cows ; 
last  of  all  came  the  women  with  the  little  children,  with 
beds,  pots,  and  kettles  packed  on  the  backs  of  horses. 

158.  The  emigrants  settle  on  the  Watauga  River1  in  Ten 
nessee.  —  When   the   little  party  had   crossed  the  moun 
tains    into   what    is    now   the    state   of   Tennessee,    they 
found  a  delightful  valley.     Through  this  valley  there  ran 
a  stream  of   clear   sparkling  water  called   the  Watauga 
River;    the  air  of  the  valley    was  sweet  with  the  smell 
of  wild  crab-apples. 

On  the  banks  of  that  stream  the  emigrants  built  their 
new  homes.  Their  houses  were  simply  rough  log  huts, 
but  they  were  clean  and  comfortable.  When  the  settlers 
put  up  these  cabins,  they  chopped  down  every  tree  near 
them  which  was  big  enough  for  an  Indian  to  hide  behind. 
They  knew  that  they  might  have  to  fight  the  savages  ; 
but  they  had  rather  do  that  than  be  robbed  by  tax-col 
lectors.  In  the  wilderness  Governor  Tryon  could  not 
reach  them  —  they  were  free ;  free  as  the  deer  and  the 
squirrels  were :  that  one  thought  made  them  contented 
and  happy. 

159.  John  Sevier  goes  to  settle  at  Watauga ;  what  he  and 
Robertson  did.  —  The  year  after  this  little  settlement  was 

1  Watauga  River  (Wa-taw'ga)  :  see  map  on  page  119. 


JOHN    SEVIER. 


125 


made  John  Sevier  went  from  Virginia  to  Watauga,  as 
it  was  called.  He  and  Robertson  soon  became  fast  friends 
—  for  one  brave  man  can  always  see  something  to  respect 
and  like  in  another  brave  man.  Robertson  and  Sevier 
hunted  together  and  worked  together. 

After  a  while  they  called  a  meeting  of  the  settlers 
and  agreed  on  some  excellent  laws,  so 
that  everything  in  the  log  village  might 
be  done  decently  and  in  order;  for  al 
though  these  people  lived  in  the  woods, 
they  had  no  notion  of  living  like  sav 
ages  or  wild  beasts.  In  course  of  time 
President  Washington  made  James  Rob 
ertson  General  Robertson,  in  honor  of 
what  he  had  done  for  his  country. 

Out  of  this  settlement  on  the  Watauga 
River  grew  the  state  of  Tennessee. 
Many  years  ago  a  small  monument  was 
erected  to  Sevier  in  the  cemetery  at 
Nashville,  a  city  founded  by  his  friend 
Robertson.  Recently  a  noble  monu 
ment  to  Sevier's  memory  has  been  erected  in  Knoxville, 
formerly  the  capital  of  the  state  of  which  he  became 
the  first  governor. 

160.  Summary.  —  James  Robertson,  of  North  Carolina, 
and  John  Sevier,  of  Virginia,  emigrated  across  the  moun 
tains  to  the  western  wilderness.  They  settled  on  the 
Watauga  River,  and  that  settlement,  with  others  made 
later,  grew  into  the  state  of  Tennessee,  of  which  John 
Sevier  became  the  first  governor. 

What  friend  did  Boone  have  in  North  Carolina  ?  Tell  about  Governor  Tryon. 
What  happened  on  the  Alamance  River  ?  Where  did  Robertson  and  others  go  ? 
Where  did  they  settle  ?  Why  did  they  like  to  be  there  ?  Tell  about  John  Sevier. 
What  did  he  and  Robertson  do  ?  What  did  Washington  do  for  Robertson  ?  What 
state  grew  out  ot  the  Watauga  settlement  ?  What  did  Sevier  become  ?  Where  is 
his  monument  ? 


126 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


GENERAL  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 
(1752-1818). 

161.  The  British  in  the  west;  their  forts;  hiring  Indians 
to  fight  the  settlers.  —  While  Washington  was  fighting  the 

battles  of  the  Revolution 
in  the  east,  the  British 
in  the  west  were  not  sit 
ting  still.  They  had  a 
number  of  forts  in  the 
Wilderness,1  as  that  part 
of  the  country  was  then 
called.  One  of  these 
forts  was  at  Detroit,2  in 
what  is  now  Michigan ; 
another  was  at  Vin- 
cennes,3  in  what  is  now 
Indiana ;  a  third  fort  was  at  Kaskaskia,4  in  what  is  now 
Illinois. 

Colonel  Hamilton,  the  British  commander  at  Detroit, 
was  determined  to  drive  the  American  settlers  out  of  the 
west.  In  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  the  Americans 
resolved  to  hire  the  Indians  to  fight  for  them,  but  the 
British  found  that  they  could  hire  them  better  than  we 
could,  and  so  they  got  their  help.  The  savages  did  their 
work  in  a  terribly  cruel  way.  Generally  they  did  not  come 
out  and  do  battle  openly,  but  they  crept  up  secretly,  by 
night,  and  attacked  the  farmers'  homes.  They  killed  and 
scalped  the  settlers  in  the  west,  burned  their  log  cabins, 
and  carried  off  the  women  and  children  prisoners.  The 

1  See  map  on  page  147. 

2  Detroit  (De-troit')  :  for  these  forts  see  map  on  page  126. 

8  Vincennes  (Vin-senz').  4  Kaskaskia  (Kas-kas'ki-a). 


Map  showing  the  Forts  at  Detroit,  Kaskaskia,  and 
Vincennes,  with  the  line  of  Clark's  march. 


GENERAL  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK.          I2/ 

greater  part  of  the  people  in  England  hated  this  sort  of 
war.  They  begged  the  king  not  to  hire' the  Indians  to  do 
these  horrible  deeds  of  murder  and  destruction.  George 
the  Third  was  not  a  bad-hearted  man ;  but  he  was  very  set 
in  his  way,  and  he  had  fully  made  up  his  mind  to  conquer 
the  "American  rebels,"  as  he  called  them,  even  if  he  had 
to  get  the  savages  to  help  him  do  it. 

162.  George  Rogers  Clark  gets  help  from  Virginia  and  starts 
to  attack  Fort  Kaskaskia.  —  Daniel  Boone  had  a  friend  in 
Virginia  named  George  Rogers  Clark,1  who  believed  that 
he   could  take   the    British    forts  in  the  west   and  drive 
out  the  British  from  all  that  part  of  the  country.     Virginia 
then  owned  most  of  the  Wilderness.     For  this  reason  Clark 
went  to  Patrick  Henry,  governor  of  Virginia,  and  asked 
for  help.     The  governor  liked  the  plan,  and  let  Clark  have 
money  to  hire  men  to  go  with  him  and  try  to  take  Fort 
Kaskaskia  to  begin  with. 

Clark  started  in  the  spring  of  1 778  with  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  men!  They  built  boats  just  above  Pittsburg2  and 
floated  down  the  Ohio  River,  a  distance  of  over  nine  hun 
dred  miles.  Then  they  landed  in  what  is  now  Illinois, 
and  set  out  for  Fort  Kaskaskia.3 

163.  The  march  to  Fort  Kaskaskia;   how  a  dance  ended.— 
It  was  a  hundred  miles  to  the  fort,  and  half  of  the  way  the 
men  had  to  find  their  way  through  thick  woods,  full   of 
underbrush,  briers,  and  vines.     The  British,  thinking  the 
fort  perfectly  safe  from  attack,  had  left  it  in  the  care  of  a 
French  officer.     Clark  and  his  band  reached  Kaskaskia  at 
night.     They  found  no  one  to  stop  them.     The  soldiers  in 
the  fort  were  having  a  dance,  and  the  Americans  could 


1  George  Rogers  Clark  was  born   near   Monticello,  Virginia.      See   map  on 
page  no.  2  Pittsburg:  see  map  on  page  no. 

8  Fort  Kaskaskia :  see  map  on  page  126. 


128 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


hear  the  merry  music  of  a  violin  and  the  laughing  voices 
of  girls. 

Clark  left  his  men  just  outside  the  fort,  and,  finding  a 
door  open,  he  walked  in.  He  reached  the  room  where  the 
fun  was  going  on,  and  stopping  there,  he  stood  leaning 
against  the  door-post,  looking  on.  The  room  was  lighted 
with  torches ;  the  light  of  one  of  the  torches  happened 


CLARK   LOOKING  ON  AT  THE   DANCE. 


to  fall  full  on  Clark's  face ;  an  Indian  sitting  on  the  floor 
caught  sight  of  him ;  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  gave  a 
terrific  war-whoop.  The  dancers  stopped  as  though  they 
had  been  shot ;  the  women  screamed ;  the  men  ran  to  the 
door  to  get  their  guns.  Clark  did  not  move,  but  said 
quietly,  "  Go  on ;  only  remember  you  are  dancing  now 
under  Virginia,  and  not  under  Great  Britain."  The  next 
moment  the  Americans  rushed  in,  and  Clark  and  his 
"Long  Knives,"  as  the  Indians  called  his  men,  had  full 
possession  of  the  fort. 

164.  How  Fort  Vincennes  was  taken ;  how  the  British  got 
it  back  again  ;  what  Francis  Vigo l  did.  —  Clark  wanted  next 
to  march  against  Fort  Vincennes,  but  he  had  not  men 
enough.  There  was  a  French  Catholic  priest2  at  Kas- 
kaskia,  and  Clark's  kindness  to  him  had  made  him  our 
friend.  He  said,  I  will  go  to  Vincennes  for  you,  and  I 


1  Vigo  (Vee-go). 


2  The  priest  was  Father  Gibault  (Zhe-bo'). 


GENERAL  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK.          I2Q 

will  tell  the  French,  who  hold  the  fort  for  the  British,  that 
the  Americans  are  their  real  friends,  and  that  in  this  war 
they  are  in  the  right.  He  went;  the  French  listened  to 
him,  then  hauled  down  the  British  flag  and  ran  up  the 
American  flag  in  its  place. 

The  next  year  the  British,  led  by  Colonel  Hamilton 
of  Detroit,  got  the  fort  back  again.  When  Clark  heard  of 
it  he  said,  "  Either  I  must  take  Hamilton,  or  Hamilton  will 
take  me."  Just  then  Francis  Vigo,  a  trader  at  St.  Louis, 
came  to  see  Clark  at  Kaskaskia.  Hamilton  had  held 
Vigo  as  a  prisoner,  so  he  knew  all  about  Fort  Vincennes. 
Vigo  said  to  Clark,  "  Hamilton  has  only  about  eighty 
soldiers ;  you  can  take  the  fort,  and  I  will  lend  you 
all  the  money  you  need  to  pay  your  men  what  you  owe 
them." 

165.  Clark's  march  to  Fort  Vincennes ;  the  "  Drowned  Lands." 
—  Clark,  with  about  two  hundred  men,  started  for  Vin 
cennes.  The  distance  was  nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.  The  first  week  everything  went  on  pretty  well. 
It  was  in  the  month  of  February,  the  weather  was  cold, 
and  it  rained  a  good  deal,  but  the  men  did  not  mind 
that.  They  would  get  wet  through  during  the  day ;  but 
at  night  they  built  roaring  log  fires,  gathered  round 
them,  roasted  their  buffalo  meat  or  venison,  smoked  their 
pipes,  told  jolly  stories,  and  sang  jolly  songs. 

But  the  next  week  they  got  to  a  branch  of  the  Wabash 
River.1  Then  they  found  that  the  constant  rains  had 
raised  the  streams  so  that  they  had  overflowed  their 
banks ;  the  whole  country  was  under  water  three  or  four 
feet  deep.  This  flooded  country  was  called  the  "  Drowned 
Lands " :  before  Clark  and  his  men  had  crossed  them 
they  were  nearly  drowned  themselves. 

1  See  map  on  page  126. 


130  THE    BEGINNERS   AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

166.  Wading1  on  to  victory.  —  For  about  a  week  the 
Americans  had  to  wade  in  ice-cold  water,  sometimes  waist 
deep,  sometimes  nearly  up  to  their  chins.  While  wading, 
the  men  were  obliged  to  hold  their  guns  and  powder-horns 
above  their  heads  to  keep  them  dry.  Now  and  then  a 
man  would  stub  his  toe  against  a  root  or  a  stone  and 
would  go  sprawling  headfirst  into  the  water.  When  he 
came  up,  puffing  and  blowing  from  such  a  dive,  he  was 
lucky  if  he  still  had  his  gun.  For  two  days  no  one  could 
get  anything  to  eat ;  but  hungry,  wet,  and  cold,  they  kept 
moving  slowly  on. 

The  last  part  of  the  march  was  the  worst  of  all.  They 
were  now  near  the  fort,  but  they  still  had  to  wade  through 


a  sheet  of  water  four  miles  across.  Clark  took  the  lead 
and  plunged  in.  The  rest,  shivering,  followed.  A  few 
looked  as  though  their  strength  and  courage  had  given 
out.  Clark  saw  this,  and  calling  to  Captain  Bowman,  — 
one  of  the  bravest  of  his  officers,  —  he  ordered  him  to  kill 
the  first  man  who  refused  to  go  forward. 

At  last,  with  numbed  hands  and  chattering  teeth,  all  got 
across,  but  some  of  them  were  so  weak  and  blue  with  cold 
that  they  could  not  take  another  step,  but  fell  flat  on  their 
faces  in  the  mud.  These  men  were  so  nearly  dead  that  no 
fire  seemed  to  warm  them.  Clark  ordered  two  strong  men 
to  lift  each  of  these  poor  fellows  up,  hold  him  between 
them  by  the  arms,  and  run  him  up  and  down  until  he  began 
to  get  warm.  By  doing  this  he  saved  every  one. 


GENERAL  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK.         131 

167.  Clark  takes  the  fort ;  what  we  got  by  his  victory ;  his 
grave.  —  After  a  long  and  desperate  fight  Clark  took  Fort 
Vincennes  and  hoisted  the  Stars  and   Stripes  over  it  in 
triumph.    The  British  never  got  it  back  again.     Most  of 
the  Indians  were  now  glad  to  make  peace,  and  to  promise 
to  behave  themselves. 

By  Clark's  victory  the  Americans  got  possession  of  the 
whole  western  wilderness  up  to  Detroit.  When  the  Revo 
lutionary  War  came  to  an  end,  the  British  did  not  want  to 
give  us  any  part  of  America  beyond  the  thirteen  states  on 
the  Atlantic  coast.  But  we  said,  The  whole  west,  clear  to 
the  Mississippi,  is  ours ;  we  fought  for  it ;  we  took  it ;  we 
hoisted  our  flag  over  its  forts,  and  we  mean  to  keep  it.  We 
did  keep  it. 

There  is  a  grass-grown  grave  in  a  burial-ground  in  Louis 
ville,  Kentucky,  which  has  a  small  head 
stone  marked  with  the  letters  G.  R.  C, 
and  nothing  more;  that  is  the  grave 
of  General  George  Rogers  Clark,  the 
man  who  did  more  than  any  one  else 
to  get  the  west  for  us  —  or  what  was 
called  the  west  a  hundred  years  ago.  CLARK>S  GRAVE- 

A  handsome  monument  was  erected  to  Clark's  memory, 
in  the  city  of  Indianapolis,  in  1895. 

168.  Summary.  —  During  the  Revolutionary  War  George 
Rogers  Clark  of  Virginia,  with  a  small  number  of  men, 
captured  Fort  Kaskaskia  in  Illinois,  and  Fort  Vincennes 
in  Indiana.     Clark  drove  out  the  British  from  that  part  of 
the  country,  and  when  peace  was  made,  we  kept  the  west  — 
that  is,  the  country  as  far  as  the  Mississippi  River —  as  part 
of  the  United  States.     Had  it  not  been  for  him  and  his 
brave  men,  we  might  not  have  got  it. 

What  did  the  British  have  in  the  west  ?  Where  were  three  of  those  forts  ?  Who 
hired  the  Indians  to  fight  ?  How  did  they  fight  ?  What  did  most  of  the  people  in 


132 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


England  think  about  this  ?  What  is  said  of  George  the  Third  ?  What  friend  did 
Daniel  Boone  have  in  Virginia?  What  did  Clark  undertake  to  do?  Tell  how  he 
went  down  the  Ohio.  Tell  how  he  marched  on  Fort  Kaskaskia.  What  happened 
when  he  got  there  ?  What  did  Clark  say  to  the  people  in  the  fort  ?  How  was  Fort 
Vincennes  taken  ?  What  did  the  British  do  the  next  year  ?  Tell  about  Francis 
Vigo.  What  did  Clark  and  his  men  start  to  do  ?  How  far  off  was  Fort  Vincennes  ? 
Tell  about  the  first  part  of  the  march  ?  What  lands  did  they  come  to  ?  Tell  how 
the  men  waded.  How  did  Clark  save  the  lives  of  some  of  the  men  ?  Did  Clark 
take  the  fort  ?  What  did  the  Americans  get  possession  of  by  this  victory  ?  What 
happened  at  the  end  of  the  Revolutionary  War  ?  What  did  we  say  ?  What  is  said 
of  the  grave  at  Louisville,  Kentucky  ?  What  did  Clark  get  for  us  ? 


GENERAL    RUFUS   PUTNAM 
(1738-1824). 

169.  What  General  Putnam  did  for  Washington,  and  what 
the  British  said  of  Putnam's  work.  —  When  the  British  had 
possession  of  Boston  in  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  Wash- 


PUTNAM'S  FORT. 
General  Washington  looking  at  the  British  Ships  in  Boston  Harbor. 

ington  asked  Rufus  Putnam,1  who  was  a  great  builder  of 
forts,  to  help  him  drive  them  out.  Putnam  set  to  work, 
one  dark,  stormy  night,  and  built  a  fort  on  some  high  land  2 
overlooking  Boston  Harbor. 

1  Rufus  Putnam  was  born  in  Sutton,  Massachusetts. 

2  Dorchester  Heights ;  now  South  Boston. 


GENERAL  RUFUS  PUTNAM. 


133 


When  the  British  commander  woke  up  the  next  morning, 
he  saw  the  American  cannon  pointed  at  his  ships.  He 
was  so  astonished  that  he  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes. 
"Why,"  said  he,  "the  rebels  have  done  more  in  one  night 
than  my  whole  army  could  have  done  in  a  week."  An 
other  officer,  who  had  command  of  the  British  vessels, 
said,  "  If  the  Americans  hold  that  fort,  I  cannot  keep  a 
ship  in  the  harbor." 

Well,  we  know  what  happened.  Our  men  did  hold  that 
fort,  and  the  British  had  to  leave  Boston.  Next  to  Gen 
eral  Washington,  General  Ruf  us  Putnam  was  the  man  who 
made  them  go  ;  for  not  many  officers  in  the  American  army 
could  build  such  a  fort  as  he  could. 


-     J  ^ 


170.  General  Putnam  builds  the  Mayflower ;  goes  down  the 
Ohio  River  and  makes  the  first  settlement  in  Ohio.  —  After 
the  war  was  over,  General  Putnam  started  with  a  com 
pany  of  people  from  New  England,  to  make  a  settle 
ment  on  the  Ohio  River.  In  the  spring  of  1788  he 
and  his  emigrants  built  a  boat  at  a  place  just  above 


134  THE    BEGINNERS    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

Pittsburgh  They  named  this  boat  the  Mayflower?  be 
cause  they  were  Pilgrims  going  west  to  make  their  home 
there. 

At  that  time  there  was  not  a  white  settler  in  what  is 
now  the  state  of  Ohio.  Most  of  that  country  was  covered 
with  thick  woods.  There  were  no  roads  through  those 
woods,  and  there  was  not  a  steamboat  or  a  railroad  either 
in  America  or  in  the  world.  If  you  look  on  the  map  3  and 
follow  down  the  Ohio  River  from  Pittsburg,  you  will 
come  to  a  place  where  the  Muskingum  joins  the  Ohio. 
At  that  place  the  Mayflower  stopped,  and  the  emigrants 
landed  and  began  to  build  their  settlement. 

171.  What  the  settlers  named  their  town;  the  first  Fourth 
of  July  celebration;  what  Washington  said  of  the  settlers. — 
During  the  Revolutionary  War  the  beautiful  Queen  Mary 
of  France  was  our  firm  friend,  and  she  was  very  kind  and 
helpful  to  Dr.  Franklin  when  he  went  to  France  for  us. 
A  number  of  the  emigrants  had  fought  in  the  Revolution, 
and  so  it  was  decided  to  name  the  town  Marietta,4  in  honor 
of  the  queen. 

When  the  Marietta  settlers  celebrated  the  Fourth  of 
July,  Major  Denny,  who  commanded  a  fort  just  across  the 
river,  came  to  visit  them.  He  said,  "  These  people  appear 
to  be  the  happiest  folks  in  the  world."  President  Wash 
ington  said  that  he  knew  many  of  them  and  that  he 
believed  they  were  just  the  kind  of  men  to  succeed.  He 
was  right;  for  these  people,  with  those  who  came  later 
to  build  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  were  the  ones  who  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  great  and  rich  state  of  Ohio. 

1  Pittsburg:  see  map  on  page  no. 

2  Mayflower  *  see  page  41. 
8  See  map  on  page  no, 

4  The  queen's  full  name  in  French  was  Marie  Antoinette ;  the  name  Marietta  is 
made  up  from  the  first  and  the  last  parts  of  her  name,. 


GENERAL  RUFUS  PUTNAM. 


135 


172.   Fights  with  the  Indians;   how  the  settlers  held  their 
town;  Indian  Rock;  the  "Miami1  Slaughter  House."  —  But 

the  people  of  Marietta  had  hardly  begun  to  feel  at  home 
in  their  little  settlement  before  a  terrible  Indian  war  broke 
out.  The  village  of  Marietta  had  a 
high  palisade2  built  round  it,  and  if  a 
man  ventured  outside  that  palisade  he 
went  at  the  risk  of  his  life  ;  for  the  In 
dians  were  always  hiding  in 
the  woods,  ready  to  kill  any 
white  man  they  saw.  When  the 
settlers  worked 
in  the  cornfield, 
they  had  to  carry 
their  guns  as  well 
as  their  hoes,  and 
one  man  always 
stood  on  top  of 
a  high  stump 
in  the  middle  of 
the  field,  to  keep 
a  bright  look 
out. 

There  is  a  lofty  rock  on  the  Ohio  River  below  Marietta, 
which  is  still  called  Indian  Rock.  It  got  its  name  because 
the  Indians  used  to  climb  up  to  the  top  and  watch  for  emi 
grants  coming  down  the  river  in  boats.  When  they  saw 
a  boat,  they  would  fire  a  shower  of  bullets  at  it,  and  per 
haps  leave  it  full  of  dead  and  wounded  men  to  drift  down 
the  river.  In  the  western  part  of  Ohio,  on  the  Miami 
River,  the  Indians  killed  so  many  people  that  the  settlers 


INDIAN  ROCK. 


1  Miami  (Mi-am 'i). 


2  See  picture  of  a  palisade  on  page  47. 


136  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

called  that  part  of  the  country  by  the  terrible  name  of  the 
"  Miami  Slaughter  House." 

173.  What  General  Wayne  did.  —  But  President  Washing 
ton  sent  a  man  to  Ohio  who  made  the  Indians  beg  for 
peace.     This  man  was  General  Wayne ;  he  had  fought  in 
the  Revolution,  and  fought  so  furiously  that  he  was  called 
"  Mad  Anthony  Wayne."     The  Indians  said  that  he  never 
slept,  and  named  him  "  Black  Snake,"  because  that  is  the 
quickest  and  boldest  snake  there  is  in  the  woods,  and  in 
a  fight  with  any  other  creature  of  his  kind  he  is  pretty  sure 
to  win  the  day.     General  Wayne  won,   and  the   Indians 
agreed  to  move  off  and   give  up  a  very  large  part   of 
Ohio  to  the  white  settlers.    After  that  there  was  not  much 
trouble,  and  emigrants  poured  in  by  thousands. 

174.  Summary.  —  In   1788  General  Rufus  Putnam,  with 
a  company  of    emigrants,   settled   Marietta,   Ohio.      The 
town  was  named  in  honor  of  Queen  Mary  of  France,  who 
had  helped  us  during  the   Revolution.     It  was  the  first 
town  built  in  what  is  now  the  state  of  Ohio.     After  Gen 
eral  Wayne  conquered  the  Indians  that  part  of  the  coun 
try  rapidly  increased  in  population. 

What  did  General  Rufus  Putnam  do  for  Washington  ?  Where  did  General 
Putnam  go  in  1788  ?  What  is  said  of  Ohio  at  that  time  ?  Where  did  the  Mayflower 
stop  ?  What  is  said  of  Queen  Mary  of  France  ?  What  did  the  settlers  name  their 
town  ?  What  did  Washington  say  about  the  settlers  ?  What  did  these  people  do  ? 
What  is  said  about  the  Indians?  What  about  Indian  Rock?  What  was  the 
country  on  the  Miami  River  called  ?  What  is  said  about  General  Wayne  ?  What 
did  the  Indians  call  him  ?  Why  did  they  give  him  that  name  ?  What  did  the 
Indians  agree  to  do  ?  What  happened  after  that  ? 


ELI    WHITNEY. 


137 


ELI    WHITNEY 
(17*3-1835). 

175.  The  name  cut  on  a  door.  —  Near  Westboro',  Massa 
chusetts,1  there  is  an  old  farm-house  which  was  built  before 
the  war  of  the  Revolution.     Close  to  the  house  is  a  small 
wooden  building ;  on  the  door  you  can  read  a  boy's  name, 
just  as  he  cut  it  with  his  pocket-knife  more  than  a  hundred 
years  ago.*    Here  is  the  door  with 

the  name.  If  the  boy  had  added 
the  date  of  his  birth,  he  would  have 
cut  the  figures  1765  ;  but  perhaps, 
just  as  he  got  to  that  point,  his 
father  appeared  and  said  rather 
sharply :  Eli,  don't  be  cutting  that 
door.  No,  sir,  said  Eli,  with  a  start ; 
and  shutting  his  knife  up  with  a 
snap,  he  hurried  off  to  get  the  ijj. 
cows  or  to  do  his  chores.2 

176.  What  Eli  Whitney  used  to  do  in  his  father's  little  work 
shop  ;   the  fiddle.  —  Eli  Whitney's   father   used  that  little 
wooden  building  as  a  kind  of  workshop,  where  he  mended 
chairs  and  did  many  other  small  jobs.     Eli  liked  to  go  to 
that  workshop  and  make  little  things  for  himself,  such  as 
water-wheels  and  windmills ;  for  it  was  as  natural  for  him 
to  use  tools  as  it  was  to  whistle. 

Once  when  Eli's  father  was  gone  from  home  for  several 
days,  the  boy  was  very  busy  all  the  while  in  the  little  shop. 
When  Mr.  Whitney  came  back  he  asked  his  housekeeper, 
"What  has  Eli  been  doing?"  "  Oh,"  she  replied,  "he 
has  been  making  a  fiddle."  His  father  shook  his  head, 


1  See  map  on  page  104.  2  Chores  :  getting  in  wood,  feeding  cattle,  etc. 

*  The  house  is  no  longer  standing,  and  the  door  has  disappeared. 


138  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

and  said  that  he  was  afraid  Eli  would  never  get  on  much 
in  the  world.  But  Eli's  riddle,  though  it  was  rough-look 
ing,  was  well  made.  It  had  music  in  it,  and  the  neighbors 
liked  to  hear  it :  somehow  it  seemed  to  say  through  all 
the  tunes  played  on  it,  "  Whatever  is  worth  doing,  is  worth 
doing  well" 

177.  Eli  Whitney  begins  making  nails ;  he  goes  to  college.  — 
When  Eli  was  fifteen,  he  began  making  nails.     We  have 
machines  to-day  which  will  make  more  than  a  hundred 
nails  a  minute ;  but  Eli  made  his,  one  by  one,  by  pound 
ing  them  out  of  a  long,  slender  bar  of  red-hot  iron.     Whit 
ney's  hand-made  nails  were  not  handsome,  but  they  were 
strong  and  tough,  and  as  the  Revolutionary  War  was  then 
going  on,  he  could  sell  all  he  could  make. 

After  the  war  was  over  the  demand  for  nails  was  not  so 
good.  Then  Whitney  threw  down  his  hammer,  and  said,  "  I 
am  going  to  college."  He  had  no  money;  but  he  worked 
his  way  through  Yale  College,  partly  by  teaching  and  partly 
by  doing  little  jobs  with  his  tools.  A  carpenter  who  saw 
him  at  work  one  day,  noticed  how  neatly  and  skilfully  he 
used  his  tools,  and  said,  "  There  was  one  good  mechanic 
spoiled  when  you  went  to  college." 

178.  Whitney  goes  to  Georgia;  he  stops  with  Mrs.  General 
Greene ;  the  embroidery  frame.  —  When  the  young  man  had 
completed  his  course  of  study  he  went  to  Georgia  to  teach 
in  a  gentleman's  family.      On  the  way  to  Savannah   he 
became  acquainted  with  Mrs.  Greene,  the  widow  of  the 
famous  General  Greene a  of  Rhode  Island.    General  Greene 
had  done  such  excellent  fighting  in  the  south  during  the 
Revolution  that,  after  the  war  was  over,  the  state  of  Georgia 
gave  him  a  large  piece  of  land  near  Savannah. 

Mrs.  Greene  invited  young  Whitney  to  her  house ;  as 

1  General  Greene :  see  page  109. 


ELI    WHITNEY.  139 

he  had  been  disappointed  in  getting  the  place  to  teach,  he 
was  very  glad  to  accept  her  kind  invitation.  While  he 
was  there  he  made  her  an  embroidery  frame.  It  was 
much  better  than  the  old  one  that  she  had  been  using, 
and  she  thought  the  maker  of  it  was  wonderfully  skilful. 

179.  A  talk  about  raising  cotton,  and  about  cotton  seeds. — 
Not  long  after  this,  a  number  of  cotton-planters  were  at 
Mrs.  Greene's  house.      In  speaking  about  raising  cotton 
they  said  that  the  man  who  could  invent  a  machine  for 
stripping  off  the  cotton  seeds  from  the  plant  would  make 
his  fortune. 

For  what  is  called  raw  cotton  or  cotton  wool,  as  it  grows 
in  the  field,  has  a  great  number  of  little  green  seeds  cling 
ing  to  it.  Before  the  cotton  wool  can  be 
spun  into  thread  and  woven  into  cloth, 
those  seeds  must  be  pulled  off. 

At  that  time  the  planters  set  the  ne 
groes  to  do  this.  When  they  had  finished 
their  day's  labor  of  gathering  the  cotton  POD  OF  THE  COTTON 

PLANT  WHEN   RIPE 

in  the  cotton  field,  the  men,  women,  and       AND  OPEN. 
children    would    sit   down    and    pick   off  On  the  right  a  seed  with 

the  wool   attached;   on 

the  Seeds,  Which  Stick  SO  tight  that  get-  the  left  the  seed  after 
.  ,  r~  .  ,  the  wool  has  been 

ting  them  off  is  no  easy  task.  picked  off. 

After  the  planters  had  talked  awhile  about  this  work, 
Mrs.  Greene  said,  "If  you  want  a  machine  to  do  it,  you 
should  apply  to  my  young  friend,  Mr.  Whitney ;  he  can 
make  anything."  "But,"  said  Mr.  Whitney,  "I  have  never 
seen  a  cotton  plant  or  a  cotton  seed  in  my  life  "  ;  for  it  was 
not  the  time  of  year  then  to  see  it  growing  in  the  fields. 

180.  Whitney  gets  some  cotton  wool ;  he  invents  the  cotton- 
gin  ;  what  that  machine  did.  —  After  the  planters  had  gone, 
Eli  Whitney  went  to  Savannah  and  hunted  about  until 
he   found,   in   some   store   or   warehouse,   a   little   cotton 


140 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


wool  with  the  seeds  left  on  it.  He  took  this  back  with 
him  and  set  to  work  to  make  a  machine  which  would 
strip  off  the  seeds. 

He   said  to  himself,    If    I    fasten  some  upright  pieces 

of  wire  in  a  board, 
and  have  the  wires  set 
very  close  together,  like 
the  teeth  of  a  comb,  and 
then  pull  the  cotton  wool 
through  the  wires  with  my 
fingers,  the  seeds,  being 
too  large  to  come  through, 
will  be  torn  off  and  left 
^  behind.  He  tried  it,  and 
'3  found  that  the  cotton  wool 
^came  through  without  any 
seeds  on  it.  Now,  said  he, 
if  I  should  make  a  wheel, 
and  cover  it  with  short 
steel  teeth,  shaped  like 
hooks,  those  teeth  would 
pull  the  cotton  wool 


NKOROKS  GATHERING 


IN  THE  FIELD. 


than  my  fingers  do,  and  very  much  faster. 

He  made  such  a  wheel;  it  was  turned  by  a  crank; 
it  did  the  work  perfectly;  so,  in  the  year  1793,  he  had 
invented  the  machine  the 
planters  wanted. 

Before  that  time  it  used 
to  take  one  negro  all  day 
to  clean  a  single  pound 
of  cotton  of  its  seeds  by 

...  -..  .  WHITNEY'S  FIRST  CONTRIVANCE  FOR  PULLING 

picking    them    Off    One   by  OFF  THE  COTTON  SEEDS. 


ELI    WHITNEY. 


141 


CARRYING  COTTON  TO  THE  COTTON-GIN. 


one ;  now,  Eli  Whitney's  cotton-gin,1  as  he  called  his  ma 
chine,  would  clean  a  thousand  pounds  in  a  day. 

181.    Price  of  common   cotton  cloth  to-day;    what  makes 

it  so  cheap;    "  King  Cotton."    -To-day   nothing   is   much 

cheaper  than 

common      cotton 

cloth.      You   can 

buy  it  for  ten  or 

twelve     cents     a 

yard,  but   before 

Whitney  invented 

his    cotton-gin   it 

sold  for  a  dollar 

and  a  half  a  yard. 

A  hundred  years  ago  the  planters  at  the  south  raised  very 

little   cotton,    for  few   people   could    afford    to   wear    it ; 

but  after  this  wonderful  machine  was  made,  the  planters 

kept  making  their  fields  bigger  and  bigger.  At  last  they 
raised  so  much  more  of  this  plant 
than  of  anything  else,  that  they 
said,  "  Cotton  is  king."  It  was  Eli 
Whitney  who  built  the  throne  for 
that  king ;  and  although  he  did  not 
make  a  fortune  by  his  machine,  yet 
he  received  a  good  deal  of  money 
for  the  use  of  it  in  some  of  the 
;.  southern  states. 

Later,  Mr.  Whitney  built  a  gun- 

THB"  STAR  SPANGLED  BANNER."'    factory     near      New     Haven,      Con- 

1  Gin :    a  shortened  form  of  the  word   engine,  meaning  any   kind   of  a  ma 
chine. 

2  In  the  war  of  1812  the  British  war-ships  attacked  Fort  McHenry,  one  of  the 
defences  of  Baltimore.     Francis  Scott  Key,  a  native  of  Maryland,  who  was  then  de 
tained  on  board  a  British  man-of-war,  anxiously  watched  the  battle  during  the  night ; 


142  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

necticut,  at  a  place  now  called  Whitneyville ;  at  that  fac 
tory  he  made  thousands  of  the  muskets  which  we  used  in 
our  second  war  with  England  in  1812. 

182.  Summary.  —  About  a  hundred  years  ago  (1/93), 
Eli  Whitney  of  Westboro',  Massachusetts,  invented  the 
cotton-gin,  a  machine  for  pulling  off  the  green  seeds  from 
cotton  wool,  so  that  it  may  be  easily  woven  into  cloth. 
That  machine  made  thousands  of  cotton-planters  and  cot 
ton  manufacturers  rich,  and  by  it  cotton  cloth  became  so 
cheap  that  everybody  could  afford  to  use  it. 

What  name  did  a  boy  cut  on  a  door  ?  What  did  Eli  make  in  that  workshop  ? 
What  did  he  make  while  his  father  was  away  ?  What  did  his  father  say  ?  What 
did  Eli's  fiddle  seem  to  say  ?  What  did  Eli  make  next  ?  How  did  he  make 
his  nails  ?  Where  did  he  go  after  he  gave  up  making  nails  ?  When  he  left 
college  where  did  he  go  ?  What  lady  did  he  become  acquainted  with  ?  What 
did  he  make  for  her  ?  What  did  the  cotton-planters  say  ?  What  must  be  done 
to  raw  cotton  before  it  can  be  made  into  cloth  ?  Who  did  this  work  ?  What 
did  Mrs.  Greene  say  to  the  planters  ?  What  did  Mr.  Whitney  say  ?  What  did 
he  do  ?  Tell  how  he  made  his  machine.  What  did  he  call  it  ?  How  many 
pounds  of  cotton  would  his  cotton-gin  clean  in  a  day  ?  How  much  could  one 
negro  clean  ?  What  is  said  about  the  price  of  cotton  cloth  ?  What  did  the 
planters  say  about  cotton  ?  Who  built  the  throne  for  King  Cotton  ?  What  did 
Mr.  Whitney  build  at  Whitneyville  ?  What  did  he  make  there  ? 


THOMAS   JEFFERSON 
(1743-1826) . 

183.  How  much  cotton  New  Orleans  sends  to  Europe ;  Eli 
Whitney's  work;  who  it  was  that  bought  New  Orleans  and 
Louisiana  for  us.  —  To-day  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  near 

before  dawn  the  firing  ceased.  Key  had  no  means  of  telling  whether  the  British 
had  taken  the  fort  until  the  sun  rose ;  then,  to  his  joy,  he  saw  the  American  flag  still 
floating  triumphantly  above  the  fort  —  that  meant  that  the  British  had  failed  in  their 
attack,  and  Key,  in  his  delight,  hastily  wrote  the  song  of  the  Star  Spangled  Banner 
on  the  back  of  a  letter  which  he  had  in  his  pocket.  The  song  was  at  once  printed, 
and  in  a  few  weeks  it  was  known  and  sung  from  one  end  of  the  United  States  to  the 
other. 


THOMAS    JEFFERSON. 


the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River,  sends  more  cotton  to 
England  and  Europe  than  any  other  city  in  America. 

If  you  should  visit  that  city  and  go  down  to  the  river 
side,  you  would  see  thousands  of  cotton  bales1  piled  up, 
and  hundreds  of  negroes  load 
ing  them  on  ocean  steamers.  It 
would  be  a  sight  you  would 
never  forget. 

Before  Eli  Whitney2  invented 
his  machine,  we  sent  hardly 
a  bale  of  cotton  abroad.  Now 
we  send  so  much  in  one  year 
that  the  bales  can  be  counted 


LOADING  COTTON  AT  NEW  ORLEANS. 

by  millions.  If  they 
were  laid  end  to  end,  in  a  straight  line,  they  would  reach 
clear  across  the  American  continent  from  San  Fran 
cisco  to  New  York,  and  then  clear  across  the  ocean  from 
New  York  to  Liverpool,  England.  It  was  Eli  Whitney, 
more  than  any  other  man,  who  helped  to  build  up  this 
great  trade.  But  at  the  time  when  he  invented  his  cotton- 
gin,  we  did  not  own  New  Orleans,  or,  for  that  matter,  any 
part  of  Louisiana  or  of  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  The  man  who  bought  New  Orleans  and  Louisiana 
for  us  was  Thomas  Jefferson. 

184.  Who  Thomas  Jefferson  was;  Monticello  ; 3  how  Jeff er- 
son's  slaves  met  him  when  he  came  home  from  Europe.  — 
Thomas  Jefferson  was  the  son  of  a  rich  planter  who  lived 
near  Charlottesville  in  Virginia.4  When  his  father  died,  he 
came  into  possession  of  a  plantation  of  nearly  two  thousand 
acres  of  land,  with  forty  or  fifty  negro  slaves  on  it. 

1  A  bale  or  bundle  of  cotton  is  usually  somewhat  more  than  five  feet  long,  and  it 
generally  weighs  from  400  to  550  pounds.  The  cotton  crop  of  this  country  in  1891 
amounted  to  more  than  8,650,000  bales ;  laid  end  to  end,  in  a  straight  line,  these 
bales  would  extend  more  than  8000  miles. 

*  See  page  139.         *  Monticello  (Mon-ti-cel'lo).         4  See  map  on  page  no. 


144 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


There  was  a  high  hill  on  the  plantation,  which  Jefferson 
called  Monticello,  or  the  little  mountain.  Here  he  built 
a  fine  house.  From  it  he  could  see  the  mountains  and 
valleys  of  the  Blue  Ridge  for  an  immense  distance.  No 
man  in  America  had  a  more  beautiful  home,  or  enjoyed  it 


JEFFERSON'S  HOME  AT  MONTICELLO. 


more,  than  Thomas 
Jefferson.  Jefferson's 
slaves  thought  that  no 
one  could  be  better 
than  their  master.  He 
was  always  kind  to 
them,  and  they  were 
ready  to  do  anything 
for  him.  Once  when  he  came  back  from  France,  where 
he  had  been  staying  for  a  long  time,  the  negroes  went  to 
meet  his  carriage.  They  walked  several  miles  down  the 
road ;  when  they  caught  sight  of  the  carriage,  they  shouted 
and  sang  with  delight.  They  would  gladly  have  taken  out 
the  horses  and  drawn  it  up  the  steep  hill.  When  Jefferson 
reached  Monticello  and  got  out,  the  negroes  took  him  in 
their  arms,  and,  laughing  and  crying  for  joy,  they  carried 
him  into  the  house.  Perhaps  no  king  ever  got  such  a 


THOMAS   JEFFERSON. 


-sn 


welcome  as  that ;  for  that  welcome  was  not  bought  with 
money  :  it  came  from  the  heart.  Yet  Jefferson  hoped  and 
prayed  that  the  time  would  come  when  every  slave  in  the 
country  might  be  set  free. 

185.  Thomas  Jefferson  hears  Patrick  Henry  speak  at  Rich 
mond. —  Jefferson  was  educated  to  be  a  lawyer;  he  was 
not  a  good  public  speaker,  but  he  liked  to  hear  men  who 
were.  Just  before  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary 
War  (1775),  the  people  of  Virginia  sent  men  to  the  city  of 
Richmond  to  hold  a  meeting  in  old  St.  John's  Church. 
They  met  to  see  what  should  be  done  about  defending 
those  rights  which  the 
king  of  England  had  re 
fused  to  grant  the  Amer 
icans. 

One  of  the  speakers  at 
that  meeting  was  a  fa 
mous  Virginian  named 
Patrick  Henry.  When 
he  got  up  to  speak  he 
looked  very  pale,  but  his 
eyes  shone  like  coals  of 
fire.  He  made  a  great 
speech.  He  said,  "We 
must  fight!  I  repeat  it, 
sir,  —  we  must  fight!" 
The  other  Virginians 
agreed  with  Patrick  Hen 
ry,  and  George  Wash-  "  WE  MUST  FIGHT!" 
ington  and  Thomas  Jefferson,  with  other  noted  men  who 
were  present  at  the  meeting,  began  at  once  to  make  ready 
to  fight. 


146 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


186.  Thomas  Jefferson  writes  the  Declaration  cf  Indepen 
dence  ;  how  it  was  sent  through  the  country.  —  Shortly  after 
this  the  great  war  began.  In  a  little  over  a  year  from  the 
time  when  the  first  battle  was  fought,  Congress  asked 
Thomas  Jefferson,  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  some  others  to 
write  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Jefferson  really 
wrote  almost  every  word  of  it.  He  was  called  the  "  Pen 
of  the  Revolution " ;  for  he  could  write  quite  as  well  as 
Patrick  Henry  could  speak. 

The  Declaration  was  printed  and  carried  by  men  mounted 
on  fast  horses  all  over  the  United  States.  When  men 
heard  it,  they  rang  the  church  bells  and  sent  up  cheer 


IN   CONCSS 
faratf 


after  cheer.  General  Washington  had  the  Declaration 
read  to  all  the  soldiers  in  his  army,  and  if  powder  had  not 
been  so  scarce,  they  would  have  fired  off  every  gun  for  joy. 

187.  Jefferson  is  chosen  President  of  the  United  States ;  what 
he  said  about  New  Orleans.  —  A  number  of  years  after  the 
war  was  over  Jefferson  was  chosen  President  of  the  United 
States ;  while  he  was  President  he  did  something  for  the 
country  which  will  never  be  forgotten. 

Louisiana  and  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  with  the  lower 
part  of  the  Mississippi  River,  then  belonged  to  the  French; 
for  at  that  time  the  United  States  only  reached  west  as  far 
as  the  Mississippi  River.  Now  as  New  Orleans  stands 


THOMAS    JEFFERSON. 


147 


near  the  mouth  of  that  river,  the  French  could  say,  if  they 
chose,  what  vessels  should  go  out  to  sea,  and  what  should 
come  in.  So  far,  then,  as  that  part  of  America  was  con 
cerned,  we  were  like  a  man  who  owns  a  house  while  an 
other  man  owns  one  of  the  doors  to  it.  The  man  who  has 
the  door  could  say  to  the  owner  of  the  house,  I  shall  stand 


Map  showing  the  extent  of  the  United  States  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  and  also  when 
Jefferson  became  President  (1801). 

here  on  the  steps,  and  you  must  pay  me  so  many  dollars 
every  time  you  go  out  and  every  time  you  come  in  this 
way. 

Jefferson  saw  that  so  long  as  the  French  held  the  door 
of  New  Orleans,  we  should  not  be  free  to  send  our  cotton 
down  the  river  and  across  the  ocean  to  Europe.  He  said 
we  must  have  that  door,  no  matter  how  much  it  costs. 

188.  Jefferson  buys  New  Orleans  and  Louisiana  for  the 
United  States,  —  Mr.  Robert  R.  Livingston,  one  of  the 


I48 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  was  in  France 
at  that  time,  and  Jefferson  sent  over  to  him  to  see  if  he 
could  buy  New  Orleans  for  the  United  States.  Napoleon 
Bonaparte1  then  ruled  France.  He  said,  I  want  money 
to  purchase  war-ships  with,  so  that  I  can  fight  England ;  I 
will  sell  not  only  New  Orleans,  but  all  Louisiana  besides, 
for  fifteen  millions  of  dollars.  That  was  cheap  enough, 
and  so  in  1803  President  Jefferson  bought  it. 


Map  showing  how  much  larger  President  Jefferson  made  the  United  States  by  buying  Louis 
iana  in  1803.  (The  Oregon  country  is  marked  in  bars  to  show  that  the  ownership  of  it 
was  disputed;  England  and  the  United  States  both  claimed  it.) 

If  you  look  on  the  map2  you  will  see  that  Louisiana 
then  was  not  simply  a  good-sized  state,  as  it  is  now,  but 
an  immense  country  reaching  clear  back  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  It  was  really  larger  than  the  whole  United 
States  east  of  the  Mississippi  River.  So,  through  Presi- 

1  Napoleon  Bonaparte  (Na-po'le-on  Bo'na-part). 

2  See  map  on  page  148,  and  compare  map  on  page  147. 


THOMAS   JEFFERSON.  149 

dent  Jefferson's  purchase,  we  added  so  much  land  that 
we  now  had  more  than  twice  as  much  as  we  had  before, 
and  we  had  got  the  whole  Mississippi  River,  the  city  of 
New  Orleans,  and  what  is  now  the  great  city  of  St.  Louis 
besides. 

189.  Death  of  Jefferson;   the  words  cut  on  his  gravestone. 
—  Jefferson  lived  to  be  an  old  man.     He  died  at  Monti- 
cello  on  the  Fourth  of  July,   1826,  just  fifty  years,  to  a 
day,  after  he  had  signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
John  Adams,  who  had  been  President  next  before  Jeffer 
son,  died  a  few  hours  later.     So  America  lost  two  of  her 
great  men  on  the  same  day. 

Jefferson  was  buried  at  Monticello.  He  asked  to  have 
these  words,  with  some  others,  cut  on  his  gravestone :  — 

Here  Lies  Buried 

THOMAS   JEFFERSON, 

Author  of  the  Declaration  of  American   Independence. 

190.  Summary.  —  Thomas   Jefferson   of   Virginia  wrote 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.     After  he  became  Pres 
ident  of  the  United  States,  he  bought  Louisiana  for  us. 
The  purchase  of  Louisiana,  with  New  Orleans,  gave  us 
the  right  to  send  our  ships  to  sea  by  way  of  the  Mississippi 
River,  which  now  belonged  to  us.     Louisiana  added  so  much 
land  that  it  more  than  doubled  the  size  of  the  United  States. 

Before  Whitney  invented  his  cotton-gin  how  much  cotton  did  we  send  abroad  ? 
How  much  do  we  send  from  New  Orleans  now  ?  Did  we  own  New  Orleans  or 
Louisiana  when  Whitney  invented  his  cotton-gin  ?  Who  bought  them  for  us  ?  Who 
was  Thomas  Jefferson  ?  What  is  said  about  Monticello  ?  Tell  how  Jefferson's 
slaves  welcomed  him  home.  For  what  profession  was  Jefferson  educated  ?  Tell 
about  Patrick  Henry.  What  did  he  say  ?  What  did  Washington  and  Jefferson 
do  ?  What  did  Jefferson  write  ?  What  was  he  called  ?  How  was  the  Declaration 
sent  to  all  parts  of  the  country  ?  What  was  Jefferson  chosen  to  be  ?  To  whom  did 
New  Orleans  and  Louisiana  then  belong  ?  How  far  did  the  United  States  then  ex 
tend  towards  the  west  ?  What  could  the  French  say  ?  What  were  we  like  ?  What 
did  Jefferson  say?  Did  we  buy  it?  How  much  did  we  pay?  How  large  was 
Louisiana  then  ?  How  much  land  did  we  get  ?  What  else  did  we  get  ?  When 
did  Jefferson  die  ?  What  other  great  man  died  on  the  same  day  ?  What  words  did 
Jefferson  have  cut  on  his  gravestone  at  Monticello  ? 


150  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

ROBERT    FULTON 
(1765-1815). 

191.  What  Mr.  Livingston  said  about  Louisiana;  a  small 
family  in  a  big  house ;  settlements  in  the  west ;  the  country 
beyond  the  Mississippi  River.  —  Even  before  we  bought  the 
great  Louisiana  country,  we  had  more  land  than  we  then 
knew  what  to  do  with  ;  after  we  had  purchased  it,  it  seemed 
to  some  people  as  though  we  should  not  want  to  use  what 
we  had  bought  for  more  than  a  hundred  years.  Such 
people  thought  that  we  were  like  a  man  with  a  small 
family  who  lives  in  a  house  much  too  large  for  him ;  but 
who,  not  contented  with  that,  buys  his  neighbor's  house, 
which  is  bigger  still,  and  adds  it  to  his  own. 

If  a  traveller  in  those  days  went  across  the  Alleghany 
Mountains 1  to  the  west,  he  found  some  small  settlements 
in  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  Tennessee,  but  hardly  any  outside 
of  those.  What  are  now  the  great  states  of  Indiana,  Illi 
nois,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin  were  then  a  wilderness ; 
and  this  was  also  true  of  what  are  now  the  states  of 
Alabama  and  Mississippi. 

If  the  same  traveller,  pushing  forward,  on  foot  or  on 
horseback,  —  for  there  were  no  steam  cars,  —  crossed  the 
Mississippi  River,  he  could  hardly  find  a  white  man  out 
side  what  was  then  the  little  town  of  St.  Louis.  The 
country  stretched  away  west  for  more  than  a  thousand 
miles,  with  nothing  in  it  but  wild  beasts  and  Indians.  In 
much  of  it  there  were  no  trees,  no  houses,  no  human  beings. 
If  you  shouted  as  hard  as  you  could  in  that  solitary  land, 
the  only  reply  you  would  hear  would  be  the  echo  of  your 
own  voice ;  it  was  like  shouting  in  an  empty  room  —  it 
made  it  seem  lonelier  than  ever. 

l  See  map  on  page  no. 


ROBERT    FULTON.  151 

192.  Emigration  to  the  west,  and  the  man  who  helped  that 
emigration.  —  But  during  the  last  hundred  years  that  great 
empty  land  of  the  far  west  has  been  filling  up  with  people. 
Thousands  upon  thousands  of  emigrants  have  gone  there. 
They  have  built  towns  and  cities  and  railroads  and  tele 
graph    lines.      Thousands  more   are  going   and  will   go. 
What  has  made  such   a  wonderful  change  ?      Well,  one 
man  helped  to  do  a  great  deal  toward  it.     His  name  was 
Robert  Fulton.     He  saw  how  difficult  it  was  for  people  to 
get  west ;  for  if  emigrants  wanted  to  go  with  their  families 
in  wagons,   they  had  to  chop  roads  through  the   forest. 
That  was  slow,  hard  work.     Fulton  found  a  way  that  was 
quick,  easy,  and  cheap.     Let  us  see  who  he  was,  and  how 
he  found  that  way. 

193.  Robert  Fulton's  boyhood ;   the  old  scow  j   what  Robert 
did  for  his  mother.  —  Robert  Fulton  was  the  son  of  a  poor 
Irish  farmer  in  Pennsylvania.1     He  did  not  care  much  for 
books,  but  liked  to  draw  pictures  with  pencils  which  he 
hammered  out  of  pieces  of  lead. 

Like  most  boys,  he  was  fond  of  fishing.  He  used  to  go 
out  in  an  old  scow,  or  flat-bottomed  boat,  on  a  river  near 
his  home.  He  and  another  boy  would  push  the  scow 
along  with  poles.  But  Robert  said,  There  is  an  easier  way 
to  make  this  boat 
go.  I  can  put  a 
pair  of  paddle- 
wheels  on  her, 
and  then  we  can 
sit  comfortably 

ROBERT  FULTON'S  PADDLE-WHEEL  Scow. 

on  the  seat  and 

turn  the  wheels  by  a  crank.     He  tried  it,  and  found  that 

1  Fulton  was  born  in  Little  Britain  (now  called  Fulton)  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pennsylvania.     See  map  on  page  104. 


152  THE    BEGINNERS    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

he  was  right.     The  boys  now  had  a  boat  which  suited 
them  exactly. 

When  Robert  was  seventeen,  he  went  to  Philadelphia. 
His  father  was  dead,  and  he  earned  his  living  and  helped 
his  mother  and  sisters,  by  painting  pictures.  He  staid  in 
Philadelphia  until  he  was  twenty-one.  By  that  time  he 
had  saved  up  money  enough  to  buy  a  small  farm  for  his 
mother,  so  that  she  might  have  a  home  of  her  own. 

194.  Fulton  goes  to  England  and  to  France ;  his  iron  bridges ; 
his  diving-boat,  and  what  he  did  with  it  in  France.  —  Soon 
after  buying  the  farm  for  his  mother,  young  Fulton  went 
to  England  and  then  to  France.  He  staid  in  those  coun 
tries  twenty  years.  In  England  Fulton  built  some  famous 
iron  bridges,  but  he  was  more  interested  in  boats  than  in 
anything  else. 

While  he  was  in   France  he  made  what  he  called  a 

diving-boat.  It  would 
go  under  water  nearly 
as  well  as  it  would  on 
top,  so  that  wherever  a 
fish  could  go,  Fulton 
could  follow  him.  His 
object  in  building  such 
a  boat  was  to  make  war 
in  a  new  way.  When 
a  swordfish 1  attacks  a 
whale,  he  slips  round 
under  him  and  stabs  the 
monster  with  his  sword. 
Fulton  said,  '  If  an  enemy's  war-ship  should  come  into  the 
harbor  to  do  mischief,  I  can  get  into  my  diving-boat,  slip 


FULTON'S  DIVING-BOAT. 

(Going  under  water  to  fasten  a  torpedo  on  the  bot 
tom  of  a  vessel.) 


1  Swordfish  :  the  name  given  to  a  large  fish  which  has  a  sword-like  weapon, 
several  feet  in  length,  projecting  from  its  upper  jaw. 


ROBERT    FULTON.  153 

under  the  ship,  fasten  a  torpedo 1  to  it,  and  blow  the  ship 
"sky  high.'" 

Napoleon  Bonaparte  liked  nothing  so  much  as  war, 
and  he  let  Fulton  have  an  old  vessel  to  see  if  he  could 
blow  it  up.  He  tried  it,  and  everything  happened  as 
he  expected :  nothing  was  left  of  the  vessel  but  the  pieces. 

195.  What  Fulton  did  in  England  with  his  diving-boat- 
what  he  said  about  America. 
—  Then  Fulton  went  back 
to  England  and  tried  the 
same  thing  there.  He  went 
out  in  his  diving-boat  and 


fastened  a  torpedo  under  ^raC 
a    vessel,    and   when    the 
torpedo  exploded,  the  ves 
sel,    as   he   said,  went  up 
like  a  "bag  of  feathers," 

.  .  T     T  •  WHAT  THE  TORPEDO  DID. 

flying  in  all  directions. 

The  English  people  paid  Fulton  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars  for  showing  them  what  he  could  do  in  this  way. 
Then  they  offered  to  give  him  a  great  deal  more  —  in 
fact,  to  make  him  a  very  rich  man  —  if  he  would  promise 
never  to  let  any  other  country  know  just  how  he  blew 
vessels  up.  But  Fulton  said,  '  I  am  an  American ;  and 
if  America  should  ever  want  to  use  my  diving-boat  in 
war,  she  shall  have  it  first  of  all. 

196.  Fulton  makes  his  first  steamboat.  —  But  while  Ful 
ton  was  doing  these  things  with  his  diving-boat,  he  was 
always  thinking  of  the  paddle-wheel  scow  he  used  to 
fish  in  when  a  boy.  I  turned  those  paddle-wheels  by 
a  crank,  said  he,  but  what  is  to  hinder  my  putting  a 

1  Torpedo :  here  a  can  filled  with  powder,  and  so  constructed  that  it  could  be 
fastened  to  the  bottom  of  a  vessel. 


154 


THE    BEGINNER'S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


steam  engine  into  such  a  boat,  and  making  it  turn  the 
crank  for  me  ?  that  would  be  a  steamboat.  Such  boats 
had  already  been  tried,  but,  for  one  reason  or  another, 
they  had  not  got  on  very  well.  Robert  R.  Livingston 
was  still  in  France,  and  he  helped  Fulton  build  his  first 
steamboat.  It  was  put  on  a  river  there ;  it  moved,  and 
that  was  about  all. 

197.  Robert  Fulton  and  Mr.  Livingston  go  to  New  York 
and  build  a  steamboat ;  the  trip  up  the  Hudson  River.  — 
But  Robert  Fulton  and  Mr.  Livingston  both  believed 
that  a  steamboat  could  be  built  that  would  go,  and  that 
would  keep  going.  So  they  went  to  New  York  and 
built  one  there. 

In  the  summer  of  1807  a  great  crowd  gathered  to  see 
the  boat  start  on  her  voyage  up  the  Hudson  River.  They 
joked  and  laughed  as  crowds  will  at  anything  new.  They 
called  Fulton  a  fool  and  Livingston  another.  But  when 

Fulton,  standing  on  the 
deck  of  his  steamboat, 
waved  his  hand,  and  the 
wheels  began  to  turn, 
and  the  vessel  began  to 
move  up  the  river,  then 
the  crowd  became  si 
lent  with  astonishment. 
Now  it  was  Fulton's 
turn  to  laugh,  and  in 
such  a  case  the  man  who 
laughs  last  has  a  right  to  laugh  the  loudest. 

Up  the  river  Fulton  kept  going.  He  passed  the  Pali 
sades1;  he  passed  the  Highlands2;  still  he  kept  on,  and  at 


FULTON'S  STEAMER  LEAVING  NEW  YORK  FOR 
ALBANY. 


1  See  map  on  page  34. 
1  See  map  on  page  34. 


ROBERT    FULTON.  155 

last  he  reached  Albany,  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  above 
New  York. 

Nobody  before  had  ever  seen  such  a  sight  as  that  boat 
moving  up  the  river  without  the  help  of  oars  or  sails ;  but 
from  that  time  people  saw  it  every  day.  When  Fulton  got 
back  to  New  York  in  his  steamboat,  everybody  wanted  to 
shake  hands  with  him  —  the  crowd,  instead  of  shouting 
fool,  now  whispered  among  themselves,  He's  a  great  man 
—  a  very  great  man,  indeed. 

198.  The  first  steamboat  in  the  west;  the  Great  Shake. — 
Four  years  later  Fulton  built  a  steamboat  for  the  west. 
In  the  autumn  of  1811  it  started  from  Pittsburg1  to  go 
down  the  Ohio  River,  and  then  down  the  Mississippi  to 
New  Orleans.     The  people  of  the  west  had  never  seen 
a  steamboat  before,  and  when  the  Indians  saw  the  smoke 
puffing  out,  they  called  it  the  "Big  Fire  Canoe." 

On  the  way  down  the  river  there  was  a  terrible  earth 
quake.  In  some  places  it  changed  the  course  of  the  Ohio 
so  that  where  there  had  been  dry  land  there  was  now  deep 
water,  and  where  there  had  been  deep  water  there  was 
now  dry  land.  One  evening  the  captain  of  the  "  Big 
Fire  Canoe  "  fastened  his  vessel  to  a  large  tree  on  the  end 
of  an  island.  In  the  morning  the  people  on  the  steamboat 
looked  out,  but  could  not  tell  where  they  were ;  the  island 
had  gone :  the  earthquake  had  carried  it  away.  The  In 
dians  called  the  earthquake  the  "  Big  Shake " :  it  was  a 
good  name,  for  it  kept  on  shaking  that  part  of  the  country, 
and  doing  all  sorts  of  damage  for  weeks. 

199.  The  "Big  Fire  Canoe"  on  the  Mississippi;   the  fight 
between  steam  and  the  Great  River;  what  steamboats  did; 
Robert  Fulton's  grave. — When  the  steamboat  reached  the 
Mississippi,  the  settlers  on  that  river  said  that  the  boat 

1  Pittsburg :  see  map  on  page  104. 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

would  never  be  able  to  go  back,  because 
the  current  is  so  strong.  At  one  place  a 
crowd  had  gathered  to  see  her  as  she 
turned  against  the  current,  in  order  to 
come  up  to  the  landing-place.  An  old 
negro  stood  watching  the  boat.  It  looked 
as  if  in  spite  of  all  the  captain  could  do 
she  would  be  carried  down  stream,  but 
at  last  steam  conquered,  and  the  boat 
came  up  to  the  shore.  Then  the  old 
negro  could  hold  in  no  longer  :  he  threw 
up  his  ragged  straw  hat  and  shouted, 
'  Hoo-ray !  hoo-ray  !  the  old  Mississippi's 
just  got  her  master  this  time,  sure ! ' 

Soon  steamboats  began  to  run  regu 
larly  on  the  Mississippi,  and  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years  they  began  to  move  up 
and  down  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Mis 
souri  River.  Emigrants  could  now  go 
to  the  west  and  the  far  west  quickly 
and  easily :  they  had  to  thank  Robert 
Fulton  for  that. 

Robert  Fulton  lies  buried  in 
New  York,  in  the  shadow  of  the 
tower  of  Trinity  Church.  There 
is  no  monument  or  mark  over  his 
grave>  but  he  has  a  monument 
in  every  steamboat  on  every  great 
river  and  lake  in  America. 

200.  Summary. —  In  1807  Rob 
ert  Fulton  of  Pennsylvania  built 
the  first  steamboat  which  ran  on 
the  Hudson  River,  and  four  years 


TOWER  OK  TRINITY  CHURCH. 


GENERAL    WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON. 


157 


later  he  built  the  first  one  which  navigated  the  rivers 
of  the  west.  His  boats  helped  to  fill  the  whole  western 
country  with  settlers. 

What  did  Mr.  Livingston  say  about  Louisiana  ?  What  did  such  people  think 
we  were  like  ?  What  would  a  traveller  going  west  then  find  ?  What  is  said  of  the 
country  west  of  the  Mississippi  ?  Who  helped  emigration  to  the  west  ?  What  did 
he  find  ?  Tell  about  Robert  Fulton  as  a  boy.  Tell  about  his  paddle-wheel  scow. 
What  did  Robert  do  for  his  mother  ?  Where  did  he  go  ?  How  long  did  he  stay 
abroad  ?  Tell  about  his  diving-boat.  What  did  he  do  with  it  in  France  ?  What 
in  England?  What  did  the  English  people  offer  him  ?  What  did  Fulton  say? 
Where  dici  Fuiton  make  and  try  his  first  steamboat  ?  Tell  about  the  steamboat  he 
made  in  New  York.  How  far  up  the  Hudson  did  it  go  ?  Tell  about  the  first  steam 
boat  at  the  west.  What  did  the  Indians  call  it  ?  What  happened  on  the  way  down 
the  Ohio  River  ?  Tell  about  the  steamboat  on  the  Mississippi  River.  What  is 
snid  of  steamboats  at  the  west  ?  What  about  emigrants  ?  Where  is  Fulton  buried  ? 
Where  is  his  monument  ? 


GENERAL   WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON 
(1773-1841). 

201.  War  with  the  Indians ;  how  the  Indians  felt  about  being 
forced  to  leave  their  homes ;  the  story  of  the  log.  —  The  year 
1811,  in  which  the  first  steamboat  went  west,  a  great  bat 
tle  was  fought  with  the  Indians.  The  battle-ground 
was  on  the  Tippecanoe 1  River,  in  what  is  now  the  state  of 
Indiana. 

The  Indians  fought  because  they 
wanted  to  keep  the  west  for  them 
selves.  They  felt  as  an  old  chief 
did,  who  had  been  forced  to  move 
many  times  by  the  white  men.  One 
day  a  military  officer  came  to  his  wig 
wam  to  tell  him  that  he  and  his  tribe 
must  go  still  further  west.  The  chief 
said,  General,  let's  sit  down  on  this  log  and  talk  it  over. 

1  Tippecanoe  (Tip-pe-ka-noo') :  see  map  on  page  157. 


158  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

So  they  both  sat  down.  After  they  had  talked  a  short 
time,  the  chief  said,  Please  move  a  little  further  that 
way ;  I  haven't  room  enough.  The  officer  moved  along. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  chief  asked  him  to  move  again,  and 

he  did  so.  Presently  the  chief 
gave  him  a  push  and  said,  Do 
move  further  on,  won't  you  ?  I 
can't,  said  the  general.  Why 
not?  asked  the  chief.  Because 
I've  got  to  the  end  of  the  log, 
replied  the  officer.  Well,  said 
the  Indian,  now  you  see  how  it 
is  with  us.  You  white  men  have 
kept  pushing  us  on  until  you  have 
pushed  us  clear  to  the  end  of  our  country,  and  yet  you 
come  now  and  say,  Move  on,  move  on. 

202.  What  Tecumseh l  and  his  brother,  the  "  Prophet,"  2  tried 
to  do.  — A  famous  Indian  warrior  named  Tecumseh  deter 
mined  to  band  the  different  Indian  tribes  together,  and 
drive  out  the  white  men  from  the  west. 

Tecumseh  had  a  brother  called  the  "  Prophet,"  who  pre 
tended  he  could  tell  what  would  happen  in  the  future. 
He  said,  The  white  traders  come  here,  give  the  Indians 
whiskey,  get  them  drunk,  and  then  cheat  them  out  of  their 
lands.  Once  we  owned  this  whole  country;  now,  if  an 
Indian  strips  a  little  bark  from  a  tree  to  shelter  him  when 
it  rains,  a  white  man  steps  up,  with  a  gun  in  his  hand,  and 
says,  That's  my  tree ;  let  it  alone,  or  I'll  shoot  you. 

Then  the  "  Prophet "  said  to  the  red  men,  Stop  drink 
ing  "  fire-water,"  3  and  you  will  have  strength  to  kill  off  the 

1  Tecumseh  (Te-kum'seh). 

2  Prophet  (prof  et)  :  one  who  tells  what  will  happen  in  the  future. 
»  Fire-water:  the  Indian  name  for  whiskey. 


GENERAL    WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON. 


"  pale-faces  "  and  get  your  land  back  again.  When  you, 
have  killed  them  off,  I  will  bless  the  earth.  I  will  make 
pumpkins l  grow  to  be  as  big  as  wigwams,  and  the  corn 
shall  be  so  large  that  one  ear  will  be  enough  for  a  dinner 
for  a  dozen  hungry  Indians.  The  Indians  liked  to  hear 
these  things ;  they  wanted  to  taste  those  pumpkins  and 
that  corn,  and  so  they  got  ready  to  fight. 

203.  Who  William  Henry  Harrison  was ;  the  march  to  Tippe 
canoe  ;  the  "  Prophet's  "  sacred  beans ;  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe. 
—  At  this  time  William  Henry  Harrison2  was  governor  of 
Indiana  territory.  He  had  fought  under  General  Wayne3 
in  his  war  with  the  In 
dians  in  Ohio.  Everybody 
knew  Governor  Harrison's 
courage,  and  the  Indians 
all  respected  him  ;  but  he 
tried  in  vain  to  prevent 
the  Indians  from  going  to 
war.  The  "  Prophet " 
urged  them  on  at  the 
north,  and  Tecumseh  had 
gone  south  to  persuade 
the  Indians  there  to  join 
the  northern  tribes. 

Governor  Harrison  saw  that  a  battle  must  soon  be  fought; 
so  he  started  with  his  soldiers  to  meet  the  Indians.  He 
marched  to  the  Tippecanoe  River,  and  there  he  stopped. 

While  Harrison's  men  were  asleep  in  the  woods,  the 
"  Prophet "  told  the  Indians  not  to  wait,  but  to  attack  the 

1  Pumpkins  (pump'kins). 

2  William  Henry  Harrison  was  born  in  Berkeley,  Charles  City  County,  Virginia, 
about  twenty-five  miles  below  Richmond.     His  father,  Governor  Harrison  of  Vir 
ginia,  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

8  See  page  136. 


GOVERNOR  HARRISON  TALKING  WITH  THE 
"  PROPHET." 


160  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

soldiers  at  once.  In  his  hand  he  held  up  a  string  of  beans. 
These  beans,  said  he  to  the  Indians,  are  sacred.1  Come 
and  touch  them,  and  you  are  safe ;  no  white  man's  bullet 
can  hit  you.  The  Indians  hurried  up  in  crowds  to  touch 
the  wonderful  beans. 

Now,  said  the  "  Prophet,"  let  each  one  take  his  hatchet 
in  one  hand  and  his  gun  in  the  other,  and  creep  through 
the  tall  grass  till  he  gets  to  the  edge  of  the  woods. 
The  soldiers  lie  there  fast  asleep ;  when  you  get  close  to 
them,  spring  up  and  at  them  like  a  wild-cat  at  a  rabbit. 

The  Indians  started  to  do  this,  but  a  soldier  on  guard 
saw  the  tall  grass  moving  as  though  a  great  snake  was 
gliding  through  it.  He  fired  his  gun  at  the  moving  grass ; 
with  a  yell  up  sprang  the  whole  band  of  Indians,  and 
rushed  forward  :  in  a  moment  the  battle  began. 

Harrison  won  the  victory.      He  not  only  killed   many 

of  the  Indians,  but  he 
marched  against  their 
village,  set  fire  to  it,  and 
burned  it  to  ashes. 

After  that  the  Indians 
in  that  part  of  the  coun 
try  would  not  listen  to 
the  "Prophet."  They 
said,  He  is  a  liar;  his 
beans  didn't  save  us. 
The  battle  of  Tippe- 

THE   BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOK.  canQe      did      much      goodj 

because  it  prevented  the  Indian  tribes  from  uniting  and 
beginning  a  great  war  all  through  the  west.  Governor 
Harrison  received  high  praise  for  what  he  had  done,  and 
was  made  a  general  in  the  United  States  army. 

1  Sacred :  something  holy,  or  set  apart  for  religious  uses. 


GENERAL    WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON. 


161 


204.  Tecumseh  takes  the  "  Prophet"  by  the  hair;  the  War 
of  1812;  General  Harrison's  battle  in  Canada;  President  Har 
rison.  —  When  Tecumseh  came  back  from  the  south,  he 
was  terribly  angry  with  his  brother  for  fighting  before  he 
was  ready  to  have  him  begin.  He  seized  the  "  Prophet " 
by  his  long  hair,  and  shook  him  as  a  terrier1  shakes  a  rat. 
Tecumseh  then  left  the  United  States  and  went  to  Canada 
to  help  the  British,  who  were  getting  ready  to  fight  us. 

The  next  year  (1812)  we  began  our  second  war  with 
England.  It  is  called  the  War  of  1812.  One  of  the  chief 
reasons  why  we  fought  was  that  the  British  would  not  let 
our  merchant  ships  alone ;  they  stopped  them  at  sea,  took 
thousands  of  our  sailors  out  of  them,  and  forced  the  men 
to  serve  in  their  war-ships  in  their  battles  against  the 
French. 


THE  CAPITOL  AT  WASHINGTON  IN  FLAMES  IN  THE  WAR  OF  1812. 

In  the  course  of  the  War  of  1812  the  British  burned 
the  Capitol  at  Washington ;  but  a  grander  building  rose 
from  its  ashes.  General  Harrison  fought  a  battle  in  Can 
ada  in  which  he  defeated  the  British  and  killed  Tecumseh, 
who  was  fighting  on  the  side  of  the  English. 

1  Terrier  (ter'ri-er)  :  a  kind  of  small  hunting-dog. 


162 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Many  years  after  this 
of  the  west  said, 
the    "  Hero    of 
for  President 
ted  States. 


battle,    the    people 

We    must    have 

Tippecanoe" 

,      of  the  Uni- 

They 


THE   DOMB  OF  THE  CAPITOL  AT  WASHINGTON  AS  IT  NOW  APPEARS. 


GENERAL    ANDREW    JACKSON.  13 

went  to  vote  for  him  with  songs  and  shouts,  and  he  was 
elected.  A  month  after  he  had  gone  to  Washington, 
President  Harrison  died  (1841),  and  the  whole  country  was 
filled  with  sorrow. 

205.  Summary.  —  In  1811  General  Harrison  gained  a 
great  victory  over  the  Indians  at  Tippecanoe,  in  Indiana. 
By  that  victory  he  saved  the  west  from  a  terrible  Indian 
war.  In  the  War  of  1812  with  England  General  Harrison 
beat  the  British  in  a  battle  in  Canada,  and  killed  Tecumseh, 
the  Indian  chief  who  had  made  us  so  much  trouble.  Many 
years  later  General  Harrison  was  elected  President  of  the 
United  States. 

Where  was  a  great  battle  fought  with  the  Indians  in  1811  ?  How  did  the  In 
dians  feel  about  the  west  ?  Tell  the  story  of  the  log.  What  did  Tecumseh  deter 
mine  to  do  ?  Tell  about  the  "  Prophet."  Who  was  William  Henry  Harrison  ? 
Tell  about  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe.  Tell  about  the  sacred  beans.  What  did  the 
Indians  say  about  the  "  Prophet "  after  the  battle?  What  good  did  the  battle  of 
Tippecanoe  do  ?  What  did  Tecumseh  do  when  he  got  back  ?  Where  did  he  then 
go  ?  What  happened  in  1812?  Why  did  we  fight  the  British  ?  What  did  Gen 
eral  Harrison  do  in  Canada  ?  What  did  the  people  of  the  west  say  ?  How  long 
did  General  Harrison  live  after  he  became  President  ? 


GENERAL    ANDREW    JACKSON 
(1767-1845) . 

206.  Andrew  Jackson  and  the  War  of  1812 ;  his  birthplace ; 
his  school ;  wrestling-matches ; l  firing  off  the  gun.  —  The  great 
est  battle  of  our  second  war  with  England  —  the  War  of 
1812  —  was  fought  by  General  Andrew  Jackson. 

He  was  the  son  of  a  poor  emigrant  who  came  from  the 
North  of  Ireland  and  settled  in  North  Carolina.2  When 

1  Wrestling  (res'ling). 

2  He  settled  in  Union  County,  North  Carolina,  very  near  the  South  Carolina 
line.    See  map  on  page  no.    Mecklenburg  Court  House  is  in  the  next  county  west 
of  Union  County.     Jackson  himself  insisted  that  he  was  born  in  South  Carolina. 


1 64 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Thomas  Jefferson  wrote  the  Declaration  of  Independence 

in   17/6,  Andrew  was  nine  years  old,  and  his  father  had 

long  been  dead.     He  was  a  tall,  slender,  freckled-faced, 

barefooted  boy,  with  eyes  full  of  fun  ;  the  neighbors  called 

him  "  Mischievous  little  Andy." 

He  went  to  school  in  a  log  hut  in  the  pine  woods ;  but 

he  learned  more  things  from  what  he  saw  in  the  woods 

than  from  the  books  he  studied  in  school. 

He  was  not  a  very  strong  boy,  and  in  wrestling  some 

of  his  companions  could  throw  him  three  times  out  of  four ; 

but  though  they  could  get  him  down  without  much  trouble, 

it  was  quite  another  thing  to  keep  him  down.     No  sooner 

was  he  laid  flat  on  his  back,  than  he  bounded  up  like  a 

steel  spring,  and  stood  ready  to  try  again. 

He  had  a  violent1  temper,  and  when,  as  the  boys  said, 

"  Andy  got  mad  all  over,"  not  many  cared  to  face  him. 

Once  some  of  his  playmates  secretly  loaded  an  old  gun 

almost  up  to  the  muzzle,  and  then 
dared  him  to  fire  it.  They  wanted 
to  see  what  he  would  say  when 
it  kicked  him  over.  Andrew  fired 
the  gun.  It  knocked  him  sprawl 
ing  ;  he  jumped  up  with  eyes 
blazing  with  anger,  and  shaking 
his  fist,  cried  out,  "  If  one  of  you 
boys  laughs,  I'll  kill  him."  He 
looked  as  though  he  meant  ex 
actly  what  he  said,  and  the  boys 

thought  that  perhaps  it  would  be  just  as  well  to  wait  and 

laugh  some  other  day. 

207.  Tarleton's2  attack  on  the   Americans;    how  Andrew 

helped  his  mother.  —  When  Andrew  was  thirteen,  he  learned 


. 


ANDY  AND  THE  GUN. 


1  Violent:  fierce,  furious. 


2Tarleton  (Tarl'ton). 


GENERAL  ANDREW  JACKSON.  I 65 

what  war  means.  The  country  was  then  fighting  the  bat 
tles  of  the  Revolution.  A  British  officer  named  Tarleton 
came  suddenly  upon  some  American  soldiers  near  the 
place  where  young  Jackson  lived.  Tarleton  had  so  many 
men  that  the  Americans  saw  that  it  was  useless  to  try  to 
fight,  and  they  made  no  attempt  to  do  so.  The  British 
should  have  taken  them  all  prisoners ;  but,  instead  of 
that,  they  attacked  them  furiously,  and  hacked  and  hewed 
them  with  their  swords.  More  than  a  hundred  of  our  men 
were  left  dead,  and  a  still  larger  number  were  so  horribly 
wounded  that  they  could  not  be  moved  any  distance.  Such 
an  attack  was  not  war,  for  war  means  a  fair,  stand-up 
fight ;  it  was  murder :  and  when  the  people  in  England 
heard  what  Tarleton  had  done,  many  cried  Shame ! 

There  was  a  little  log  meeting-house  near  Andrew's 
home,  and  it  was  turned  into  a  hospital  for  the  wounded 
men.  Mrs.  Jackson,  with  other  kind-hearted  women,  did 
all  she  could  for  the  poor  fellows  who  lay  there  groaning 
and  helpless.  Andrew  carried  food  and  water  to  them. 
He  had  forgotten  most  of  the  lessons  he  learned  at  school, 
but  here  was  something  he  would  never  forget. 

208.  Andrew's  hatred  of  the  "  red-coats  "  ; l  Tarleton's  sol 
diers  meet  their  match.  —  From  that  time,  when  young  Jack 
son  went  to  the  blacksmith's  shop  to  get  a  hoe  or  a  spade 
mended,  he  was  sure  to  come  back  with  a  rude  spear,  or 
with  some  other  weapon,  which  he  had  hammered  out  to 
fight  the  "  red-coats  "  with. 

Tarleton  said  that  no  people  in  America  hated  the  Brit 
ish  so  much  as  those  who  lived  where  Andrew  Jackson  did. 
The  reason  was  that  no  other  British  officer  was  so  cruel 
as  "  Butcher  Tarleton,"  as  he  was  called.  Once,  however, 


l  Red-coats :  this  nickname  was  given  by  the  Americans  to  the  British  soldiers 
because  they  wore  bright  red  coats. 


166  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

his  men  met  their  match.     They  were  robbing  a  farm  of 
its  pigs  and  chickens  and  corn  and  hay.    When  they  got 

through  carrying  things  off,  they 
were  going  to  burn  down  the 
farm-house  ;  but  one  of  the  "  red 
coats,"  in  his  haste,  ran  against 
:v  a  big  hive  of  bees  and  upset  it. 
The  bees  were  mad  enough. 
They  swarmed  down  on  the  sol 
diers,  got  into  their  ears  and  eyes, 
Ma,  and  stung  them  so  terribly  that  at 
last  the  robbers  were  glad  to  drop 

THE  BEES  BEAT  THE  "  RED-COATS." 

everything  and  run.     If  Andrew 

could  have  seen  that  battle,  he  would  have  laughed  till  he 
cried. 

209.  Dangerous  state  of  the  country ;  the  roving  bands.  — 
Andrew  knew  that  he  and  his  mother  lived  in  constant 
danger.     Part  of  the  people  in  his  state  were  in  favor  of 
the  king,  and  part  were  for  liberty.     Bands  of  armed  men, 
belonging  sometimes  to  one  side,  and  sometimes  to  the 
other,  went  roving  about  the  country.     When  they  met  a 
farmer,  they  would  stop  him  and  ask,  '  Which  side  are  you 
for? '     If  he  did  not  answer  to  suit  them,  the  leader  of  the 
party  would  cry  out,  Hang  him  up  !     In  an  instant  one 
of  the  band  would  cut  down  a  long  piece  of  wild  grape 
vine,  twist  it  into  a  noose,  and  throw  it  over  the  man's 
head ;  the  next  moment  he  would  be  dangling  from  the 
limb  of  a  tree.     Sometimes  the  band  would  let  him  down 
again  ;  sometimes  they  would  ride  on  and  leave  him  hang 
ing  there. 

210.  Playing  at  battle ;  what  Tarleton  heard  about  himself. 
—  Even  the  children  saw  and  heard  so  much  of  the  war 
that  was  going  on  that  they  played  at  war,  and  fought 


GENERAL  ANDREW  JACKSON. 


i67 


battles  with  red  and  white  corn,  —  red  for  the  British  and 
white  for  the  Americans. 

At  the  battle  of  Cowpens  1  Colonel  William  Washing 
ton  2  fought  on  the  American  side,  and  Tarleton  got  badly 
whipped  and  had  to  run.  Not  long  afterward  he  happened 
to  see  some  boys  squatting  on  the  ground,  with  a  lot  of 
corn  instead  of  marbles.  They  were  playing  the  battle  of 
Cowpens.  A  red  kernel  stood  for  Tarleton,  and  a  white 
one  for  Colonel  Washington.  The  boys  shoved  the  corn 
this  way  and  that ;  sometimes  the  red  would  win,  some 
times  the  white.  At  last  the  white  kernel  gained  the  vic 
tory,  and  the  boys  shouted,  "  Hurrah  for  Washington  - 
Tarleton  runs  ! " 

Tarleton  had  been  quietly  looking  on  without  their 
knowing  it.  When  he  saw 
how  the  game  ended,  he 
turned  angrily  away.  He 
had  seen  enough  of  "the 
little  rebels,"  3  as  he  called 
them. 

211.  Andrew  is  taken  pris 
oner  by  the  British ;  "'  Here, 
boy,  clean  those  boots  "  ;  the 
two  scars.  —  Not  long  after 
our  victory  at  Cowpens, 
Andrew  Jackson  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  British. 
The  officer  in  command  of 


1  Cowpens  :  see  page  log. 

2  Colonel  William  Washington  was  a  relative  of  General  George  Washington. 
8  Rebels :  this  was  the  name  which  the  British  gave  to  the  Americans  because 

we  had  been  forced  to  take  up  arms  to  overthrow  the  authority  of  the  English 
king,  who  was  still  lawfully,  but  not  justly,  the  ruler  of  this  country.  Had  he  been 
a  just  and  upright  ruler,  there  would  probably  have  been  no  rebellion  against  his 
authority  at  that  time. 


1 68  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

the  soldiers  had  just  taken  off  his  boots,  splashed  with  mud. 
Pointing  to  them,  he  said  to  Andrew,  Here,  boy,  clean  those 
boots.  Andrew  replied,  Sir,  I  am  a  prisoner  of  war,  and  it 
is  not  my  place  to  clean  boots.  The  officer,  in  a  great  pas 
sion,  whipped  out  his  sword  and  struck  a  blow  at  the  boy.  It 
cut  a  gash  on  his  head  and  another  on  his  hand.  Andrew 
Jackson  lived  to  be  an  old  man,  but  the  marks  of  that 
blow  never  disappeared  :  he  carried  the  scars  to  his  grave. 

212.  The  prisoners  in  the  yard  of  Camden  jail;   seeing  a 
battle  through  a  knot-hole.  —  Andrew  was  sent  with  other 
prisoners  to  Camden,  South  Carolina,1  and  shut  up  in  the 
jail-yard.     There  many  fell  sick  and  died  of  small-pox. 

One  day  some  of  the  prisoners  heard  that  General 
Greene  —  the  greatest  American  general  in  the  Revolu 
tion,  next  to  Washington  —  was  coming  to  fight  the  Brit 
ish  at  Camden.  Andrew's  heart  leaped  for  joy,  for  he 
knew  that  if  General  Greene  should  win  he  would  set  all 
the  prisoners  at  liberty. 

General  Greene,  with  his  little  army,  was  on  a  hill  in 
sight  of  the  jail,  but  there  was  a  high,  tight  board  fence 
round  the  jail-yard,  and  the  prisoners  could  not  see  them. 
With  the  help  of  an  old  razor  Andrew  managed  to  dig 
out  a  knot  from  one  of  the  boards.  Through  that  knot 
hole  he  watched  the  battle. 

Our  men  were  beaten  in  the  fight,  and  Andrew  saw 
their  horses,  with  empty  saddles,  running  wildly  about. 
Then  the  boy  turned  away,  sick  at  heart.  Soon  after  that 
he  was  seized  with  the  small-pox,  and  would  have  died  of  it 
if  his  mother  had  not  succeeded  in  getting  him  set  free. 

213.  Mrs.  Jackson  goes  to  visit  the  American  prisoners  at 
Charleston  ;  Andrew  loses  his  best  friend ;  what  he  said  of  her. 
—  In  the  summer  Mrs.  Jackson  made  a  journey  on  horse- 

l  Camden  i  see  map  on  page  no. 


GENERAL    ANDREW    JACKSON.  169 

back  to  Charleston,  a  hundred  and  sixty  miles  away.  She 
went  to  carry  some  little  comforts  to  the  poor  Amer 
ican  prisoners,  who  were  starving  and  dying  of  disease  in 
the  crowded  and  filthy  British  prison-ships  in  the  harbor. 
While  visiting  these  unfortunate  men  she  caught  the 
fever  which  raged  among  them.  Two  weeks  later  she 
was  in  her  grave,  and  Andrew,  then  a  lad  of  fourteen, 
stood  alone  in  the  world. 

Years  afterward,  when  he  had  risen  to  be  a  noted  man, 
people  would  sometimes  praise  him  because  he  was  never 
afraid  to  say  and  do  what  he  believed  to  be  right ;  then 
Jackson  would  answer,  "That  I  learned  from  my  good  old 
mother." 

214.  Andrew  begins  to  learn  a  trade;   he  studies  law  and 
goes  west ;  Judge  Jackson  ;  General  Jackson.  —  Andrew  set 
to  work  to  learn  the  saddler's  trade,  but  gave  it  up  and 
began  to  study  law.     After  he  became  a  lawyer  he  went 
across  the  mountains  to  Nashville,  Tennessee.     There  he 
was  made  a  judge.     There  were  plenty  of  rough  men  in 
that  part  of  the  country  who  meant  to  have  their  own  way 
in  all  things  ;  but  they  soon  found  that  they  must  respect 
and   obey   Judge   Jackson.      They   could    frighten   other 
judges,  but  it  was  no  use  to  try  to  frighten  him.     Seeing 
what  sort  of  stuff  Jackson  was  made  of,  they  thought  that 
they  should  like  to  have  such  a  man  to  lead  them  in  battle. 
And  so  Judge  Andrew  Jackson  became  General  Andrew 
Jackson.     When  trouble  came  with  the  Indians,  Jackson 
proved  to  be  the  very  man  they  needed. 

215.  Tecumseh    and    the  Indians    of  Alabama ;    Tecumseh 
threatens  to  stamp  his  foot  on  the  ground ;  the  earthquake ; 
war  begins.  —  We  have  already  seen  how  the  Indian  chief 
Tecumseh  l  went  south  to  stir  up  the  red  men  to  make 

1  Tecumseh :  see  page  159. 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


war  on  the  white  settlers  in  the  west.  In  Alabama  he 
told  the  Indians  that  if  they  fought  they  would  gain  a 
great  victory.  I  see,  said  Tecurnseh  to  them,  that  you 
don't  believe  what  I  say,  and  that  you  don't  mean  to 
fight.  Well,  I  am  now  going  north  to  Detroit.  When 
I  get  there  I  shall  stamp  my  foot  on  the  ground,  and 
shake  down  every  wigwam  you  have.  It  so  happened  that, 
shortly  after  Tecumseh  had  gone  north,  a  sharp  shock 
of  earthquake  was  felt  in  -Alabama,  and  the  wigwams  were 
actually  shaken  down  by  it.  When  the  terrified  Indians 
felt  their  houses  falling  to  pieces,  they  ran  out  of  them, 
shouting,  "  Tecumseh  has  got  to  Detroit !  " 

These  Indians  now  believed  all  that  Tecumseh  had  said ; 
they  began  to  attack  the  white  people,  and  they  killed  a 
great  number  of  them. 

216.  Jackson  conquers  the  Indians;  the  "Holy  Ground''; 
Weathersford  and  Jackson ;  feeding  the  starving.  —  General 

Jackson  marched  against 
the  Indians  and  beat  them 
in  battle.  The  Indians 
that  escaped  fled  to  a 
place  they  called  the 
"Holy  Ground."  They 
believed  that  if  a  white 
man  dared  to  set  his  foot 
on  that  ground  he  would 
be  struck  dead  as  if  by  a 
flash  of  lightning.  Gen 
eral  Jackson  and  his  men 
marched  on  to  the  "  Holy 
Ground,"  and  the  Indians 
found  that  unless  they  made  peace  they  would  be  the  ones 
who  would  be  struck  dead  by  his  bullets. 


GENERAL  JACKSON  AND  THE  INDIAN  CHIEF. 


Jf 

in 


GENERAL  ANDREW  JACKSON.  1 7* 

Not  long  after  this,  a  noted  leader  of  the  Indians,  named 
Weathersford,  rode  boldly  up  to  Jackson's  tent.  "  Kill  him  ! 
kill  him  !  "  cried  Jackson's  men  ;  but  the  general  asked 
Weathersford  into  his  tent.  "  You  can  kill  me  if  you  want 
to,"  said  he  to  Jackson,  "  b.ut  I  came  to  tell  you  that  the 
Indian  women  and  children  are  starving  in  the  woods,  and 
to  ask  you  to  help  them,  for  they  never  did  you  any  harm." 
General  Jackson  sent  away  Weathersford  in  safety,  and 
ordered  that  corn  should  be  given  to  feed  the  starving 
women  and  children.  That  act  showed  that  he  was  as 
merciful  as  he  was  brave. 

217.  The  British  send  war-ships  to  take  New  Orleans ;  the 
great  battle  and  the  great  victory.  — These  things  happened 
during  our  second  war  with  England,  or  the  War  of  1812. 
About  a  year  after  Jackson's  victory  over  the  Indians  the 
British  sent  an  army  in  ships  to  take  New  Orleans. 

General  Jackson  now  went  to  New  Orleans,  to  prevent 
the  enemy  from  getting  possession  of  the  city. 

About  four  miles  below  the  city,  which  stands  on  the 
Mississippi  River,1  there  was  a  broad,  deep  ditch,  running 
from  the  river  into  a  swamp.  Jackson  saw  that  the  British 
would  have  to  cross  that  ditch  when  they  marched  against 
the  city.  For  that  reason  he  built  a  high  bank  on  the 
upper  side  of  the  ditch,  and  placed  cannon  along  the  top 
of  the  bank. 

Early  on  Sunday  morning,  January  8th,  1815,  the  British 
sent  a  rocket  whizzing  up  into  the  sky ;  a  few  minutes 
afterward  they  sent  up  a  second  one.  It  was  the  signal 
that  they  were  about  to  march  to  attack  us. 

Just  before  the  fight  began  General  Jackson  walked 
along  among  his  men,  who  were  getting  ready  to  defend 
the  ditch.  He  said  to  them,  "  Stand  to  your  guns ;  see 

1  See  map  on  page  173. 


1/2 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


that  every  shot  tells  :  give  it  to  them,  boys  !  "  The  "  boys  " 
did  give  it  to  them.  The  British  soldiers  were  brave  men ; 
they  had  been  in  many  terrible  battles,  and  they  were  not 
afraid  to  die.  They  fought  desperately ;  they  tried  again 
and  again  to  cross  that  ditch  and  climb  the  bank,  but  they 

could  not  do  it.  The  fire  of  our 
guns  cut  them  down  just  as  a 
mower  cuts  down  the  tall  grain 
with  his  scythe.1  In  less  than 
half  an  hour  the  great  battle 
was  over ;  Jackson  had  won  the 
victory  and  saved  New  Or 
leans.  We  lost  only  eight 
killed  ;  the  enemy  lost  over  two 
thousand.2  We  have  never  had 
a  battle  since  with  England ; 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  we  never 
shall  have  another,  for  two  great 
nations3  like  England  and 
America,  that  speak  the  same 
language,  ought  to  be  firm  and  true  friends. 

218.  We  buy  Florida;  General  Jackson  made  President  of 
the  United  States;  the  first  railroad.  —  After  the  battle  of 
New  Orleans  General  Jackson  conquered  the  Indians  in 
Florida,  and  in  1819  we  bought  that  country  of  Spain,  and 
so  made  the  United  States  much  larger  on  the  south.4 
This  was  our  second  great  land  purchase.5 

Ten  years  after  we  got  Florida  General  Jackson  became 
President  of  the  United  States.  He  had  fought  his  way 


MONUMENT  TO  GENERAL  JACKSON 
AT  NEW  ORLEANS. 


1  Scythe  (sithe).  2  Killed  and  wounded. 

8  Nations :  a  nation  is  a  people  born  in  the  same  country  and  living  under  the 
same  government;  as  the  American  nation,  the  French  nation,  the  English  nation. 
4  See  map  on  page  173.  5  For  our  first  land  purchase  see  page  148. 


GENERAL    ANDREW    JACKSON. 


173 


up.  Here  are  the  four  steps  :  first  the  boy,  "  Andy  Jack 
son  "  ;  then  "Judge  Jackson  "  ;  then  "General  Jackson  "  ; 
last  of  all,  "President  Jackson." 


i  PI 


The  light  parts  of  this  map  show  the  extent  of  the  United  States  in  1819,  after  we  had  bought 
and  added  Florida.  The  black  and  white  bars  in  the  northwest  show  that  the  ownership 
of  the  Oregon  country  was  still  in  dispute  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

Shortly  after  he  became  the  chief  ruler  of  the  nation  the 
first  steam  railroad  in  the  United  States  was  built  (1830). 
From  that  time  such  roads  kept  creeping  further  and  fur 
ther  west.  The  Indians  had  frightened  the  white  settlers 


THE  GREAT  STEEL  RAILROAD  BRIDGE  ACROSS  THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER  AT  ST.  Louis. 
(Built  by  Captain  Eads,  and  completed  in  1874.) 


1/4  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

with  their  terrible  war-whoop.  Now  it  was  their  turn  to 
be  frightened,  for  the  locomotive  whistle  1  could  beat  their 
wildest  yell.  They  saw  that  the  white  man  was  coming  as 
fast  as  steam  could  carry  him,  and  that  he  was  determined 
to  get  possession  of  the  whole  land.  The  greater  part  of 
the  Indians  moved  across  the  Mississippi ;  but  the  white 
man  kept  following  them  and  following  the  buffalo  further 
and  further  across  the  country,  toward  the  Pacific  Ocean  ; 
and  the  railroad  followed  in  the  white  man's  track. 

219.  Summary.  —  Andrew  Jackson  of  North  Carolina 
gained  a  great  victory  over  the  Indians  in  Alabama  and 
also  in  Florida.  In  1815,  in  our  second  war  with  England, 
General  Jackson  whipped  the  British  at  New  Orleans,  and 
so  prevented  their  getting  possession  of  that  city.  A  few 
years  later  we  bought  Florida  of  Spain. 

After  General  Jackson  became  President  of  the  United 
States  the  first  steam-railroad  was  built  in  this  country. 
Railroads  helped  to  settle  the  west  and  build  up  states 
beyond  the  Mississippi. 

Who  fought  the  greatest  battle  of  the  War  of  1812  ?  Tell  about  Andrew  Jack 
son's  boyhood.  Tell  the  story  of  the  gun.  Tell  about  Tarleton.  What  did  Mrs. 
Jackson  do  ?  What  did  Andrew  do  ?  What  did  Andrew  use  to  do  at  the  black 
smith  shop  ? 

Tell  about  Tarleton's  men  and  the  bees.  What  did  bands  of  armed  men  use  to 
do  in  the  country  where  Andrew  lived  ?  Tell  about  playing  at  battle.  What  did 
Tarleton  say  ?  Tell  about  Andrew  and  the  boots.  Tell  how  he  saw  a  battle 
through  a  knot-hole.  Tell  how  Andrew's  mother  died.  What  did  he  say  about 
her  ?  Tell  about  Andrew  Jackson  as  a  judge.  Why  was  he  made  a  general  ? 
Tell  about  Tecumseh  and  the  Alabama  Indians.  After  General  Jackson  had 
beaten  the  Indians,  where  did  they  go  ?  What  is  said  about  the  "  Holy  Ground." 
What  about  Jackson  and  Weathersford  ?  Tell  about  the  great  battle  of  New  Or 
leans.  Who  gained  the  victory  ?  When  did  we  buy  Florida  ?  What  were  the 
four  steps  in  Andrew  Jackson's  life  ?  What  is  said  about  railroads  ? 

1  The  first  steam  railroad  built  in  the  United  States  extended  from  Baltimore  to 
Ellicott's  Mills,  Maryland,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles.  It  was  opened  in  1830.  It 
forms  a  part  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 


NIAGARA  SUSPENSION  BRIDGE. 


PROFESSOR    MORSE.  1/5 

PROFESSOR    MORSE 
(1791-1872). 

220.  How  they  sent  the  news  of  the  completion  of  the  Erie 
Canal  to  New  York  City;  Franklin  and  Morse. — The  Erie 
Canal,  in  the  state  of  New  York,  connects  the  Hudson 
River  at  Albany  with  Lake  Erie  at  Buffalo.  It  is  the 
greatest  work  of  the  kind  in  America,  and  was  completed 
many  years  ago.  When  the  water  was  let  into  the  canal 


HOW   THEY    FLASHED   THE   NEWS   OF   THE   COMPLETION   OF   THE    ERIE    CANAL    IN    1825. 

from  the  lake,  the  news  was  flashed  from  Buffalo  to 
New  York  City  by  a  row  of  cannon,  about  five  miles 
apart,  which  were  fired  as  rapidly  as  possible  one  after  the 
other.  The  first  cannon  was  fired  at  Buffalo  at  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning ;  the  last  was  fired  at  New  York  at  half- 
past  eleven.  In  an  hour  and  a  half  the  sound  had  travelled 
over  five  hundred  miles.  Everybody  said  that  was  wonder 
fully  quick  work  ;  but  to-day  we  could  send  the  news  in 
less  than  a  minute.  The  man  who  found  out  how  to  do 
this  was  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse. 

We  have  seen  how  Benjamin  Franklin1  discovered,  by 
means  of  his  kite,  that  lightning  and  electricity  are  the  same. 
Samuel  Morse  was  born  in  Charlestown,  Massachusetts, 
about  a  mile  from  Franklin's  birthplace,  the  year  after 

1  See  page  88. 


176  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

that  great  man  died.  He  began  his  work  where  Franklin 
left  off.  He  said  to  himself,  Dr.  Franklin  found  out  what 
lightning  is  ;  I  will  find  out  how  to  harness  it  and  make  it 
carry  news  and  deliver  messages.1 

221.  Morse  becomes  a  painter;  what  he  thought  might  be 
done  about  sending  messages.  —  When  Samuel  Morse  was  a 
little  boy,  he  was  fond   of  drawing  pictures,  particularly 
faces ;  if  he  could  not  get  a  pencil,  he  would  scratch  them 
with  a  pin  on  the  furniture  at  school :  the  only  pay  he  got 
for  making  such  pictures  was  some  smart  raps  from  the 
teacher.     After  he   became   a  man    he  learned   to   paint. 
At  one  time  he  lived  in  France  with  several  other  Ameri 
can   artists.     One  day  they  were  talking  of  how  long  it 
took  to  get  letters  from  America,  and  they  were  wishing 
the  time  could   be   shortened.     Somebody  spoke    of   how 
cannon  had  been  used  at  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the 
Erie  Canal.     Morse   was   familiar  with   all   that ;   he    had 
been   educated   at   Yale    College,   and   he   knew  that    the 
sound  of  a  gun  will  travel  a  mile  while  you  are  counting 
five ;  but  quick  as  that   is,  he  wanted  to   find  something 
better  and  quicker  still.     He  said,  Why  not  try  lightning 
or   electricity  ?     That  will    beat    sound,   for    that   will  go 
more    than    a    thousand    miles    while    you    are    counting 
one. 

222.  What  a  telegraph 2  is ;    a  wire  telegraph ;   Professor 
Morse  invents  the  electric  telegraph.  —  Some  time  after  that, 
Mr.  Morse  set  sail  for  America.     On  the  way  across  the 
Atlantic  he  was   constantly  talking  about  electricity  and 
how  a  telegraph — that  is,  a  machine  which  would  write  at 
a  distance  —  might  be  invented.     He  thought  about  this  so 

1  Messages :  a  message  is  any  word  sent  by  one  person  to  another. 

2  Telegraph  (tel'e-graf)  :  this  name  is  made  up  of  two  Greek  words,  the  first  of 
which  means  far  off,  and  the  second  to  write. 


PROFESSOR    MORSE. 


I// 


much  that  he  could  not  sleep  nights.     At  last  he  believed 
that  he  saw  how  he  could  make  such  a  machine. 


ONE  KIND  OF  TELEGRAPH. 

Suppose  you  take  a  straight  and  stiff  piece  of  wire  as 
long  as  your  desk  and  fasten  it  in  the  middle  so  that  the 
ends  will  swing  easily. 
Next  tie  a  pencil  tight 
to  each  end  ;  then  put 
a  sheet  of  paper  under 
the  point  of  each  pen 
cil.  Now,  if  you  make 
a  mark  with  the  pencil 
nearest  to  you,  you  will 
find  that  the  pencil  at 
the  other  end  of  the 
wire  will  make  the  same 
kind  of  mark.  Such 
a  wire  would  be  a  kind 
of  telegraph,  because 
it  would  make  marks 
or  signs  at  a  distance. 
Mr.  Morse  said  :  I  will 
have  a  wire  a  mile 
long,  with  a  pencil, 
or  something  sharp- 
pointed  like  a  pencil,  fastened  to  the  further  end  ;  the  wire 
itself  shall  not  move  at  all,  but  the  pencil  shall,  for  I  will 
make  electricity  run  along  the  wire  and  move  it.  Mr. 


_ 

PROFESSOR  MORSE  AT  WORK  MAKING  HIS  TELEGRAPH. 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Morse  was  then  a  professor  or  teacher  in  the  University 
of  the  City  of  New  York.  He  put  up  such  a  wire  in  one 
of  the  rooms  of  the  building,  sent  the  electricity  through 
it,  and  found  that  it  made  the  pencil  make  just  the  marks 
he  wanted  it  should ;  that  meant  that  he  had  invented  the 
electric  telegraph;  for  if  he  could  do  this  over  a  mile  of 

wire,  then  what  was  to  hinder 
his  doing  it  over  a  hundred  or 
even  a  thousand  miles  ? 

223.  How  Professor  Morse  lived 
while  he  was  making  his  telegraph. 
—  But  all  this  was  not  done  in 
a  day,  for  this  invention  cost 
years  of  patient  labor.  At  first, 
Mr.  Morse  lived  in  a  little  room 
by  himself  :  there  he  worked  and 
ate,  when  he  could  get  anything 
to  eat  ;  and  slept,  if  he  wasn't 
too  tired  to  sleep.  Later,  he 
had  a  room  in  the  university. 
While  he  was  there  he  painted 
pictures  to  get  money  enough  to 
buy  food  ;  there,  too  (1839),  ne 
took  the  first  photograph  ever 
made  in  America.  Yet  with 
all  his  hard  work  there  were 
times  when  he  had  to  go  hun 
gry,  and  once  he  told  a  young 
man  that  if  he  did  not  get 
some  money  he  should  be  dead  in  a  week  —  dead  of  star 
vation. 

224.   Professor  Morse  gets  help  about  his  telegraph;  what 
Alfred  Vail  did.  —  But  better  times  were  coming.    A  young 


A  COPY  OF  THE  FIRST   PHOTOGRAPH 
MADE  IN  AMERICA. 

(The  tower  of  the  Church  of  the  Mes 
siah,  in  New  York.  The  church  is 
no  longer  standing.) 


PROFESSOR    MORSE.  1/9 

man  named  Alfred  Vail l  happened  to  see  Professor 
Morse's  telegraph.  He  believed  it  would  be  successful. 
He  persuaded  his  father,  Judge  Vail,  to  lend  him  two 
thousand  dollars,  and  he  became  Professor  Morse's  partner 
in  the  work.  Mr.  Vail  was  an  excellent  mechanic,  and  he 
made  many  improvements  in  the  telegraph.  He  then 
made  a  model 2  of  it  at  his  own  expense,  and  took  it  to 
Washington  and  got  a  patent 3  for  it  in  Professor  Morse's 
name.  The  invention  was  now  safe  in  one  way,  for  no 
one  else  had  the  right  to  make  a  telegraph  like  his.  Yet, 
though  he  had  this  help,  Professor  Morse  did  not  get  on 
very  fast,  for  a  few  years  later  he  said,  "  I  have  not  a  cent 
in  the  world  ;  I  am  crushed  for  want  of  means." 

225.  Professor  Morse  asks  Congress  to  help  him  build  a 
telegraph  line ;  what  Congress  thought.  —  Professor  Morse 
now  asked  Congress  to  let  him  have  thirty  thousand  dol 
lars  to  construct  a  telegraph  line  from  Washington  to 
Baltimore.  He  felt  sure  that  business  men  would  be  glad 
to  send  messages  by  telegraph,  and  to  pay  him  for  his  work. 
But  many  members  of  Congress  laughed  at  it,  and  said 
they  might  as  well  give  Professor  Morse  the  money  to 
build  "a  railroad  to  the  moon." 

Week  after  week  went  by,  and  the  last  day  that  Con 
gress  would  sit  was  reached,  but  still  no  money  had  been 

1  Alfred  Vail :  he  was  the  son  of  Stephen  Vail  (commonly  known  as  Judge  Vail), 
owner  of  the  Speedwell  iron-works,  near  Morristown,  New  Jersey.    Judge  Vail 
built  the  engines  of  the  Savannah,  the  first  steamship  which  crossed  the  Atlantic. 

2  Model :  a  small  copy  or  representation  of  something.     Professor  Morse  made 
a  small  telegraph  and  sent  it  to  Washington,  to  show  what  his  large  telegraph 
would  be  like. 

3  Patent :  a  written  or  printed  right  given  by  the  government  at  Washington 
to  an  inventor  to   make  something;    as,  for  instance,  a  telegraph  or  a  sewing- 
machine.     The  patent  forbids  any  one  except  the  inventor,  or  holder  of  the  patent, 
from  making  such  a  machine,  and  so  he  gets  whatever  money  comes  from  his 
work.    In  order  to  get  a  patent,  a  man  must  send  a  model  of  his  invention  to  be 
placed  in  the  Patent  Office  at  Washington. 


i8o  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

granted.  Then  came  the  last  night  of  the  last  day 
(March  3d,  1843).  Professor  Morse  stayed  in  the  Senate 
Chamber1  of  Congress  until  after  ten  o'clock;  then,  tired 
and  disappointed  he  went  back  to  his  hotel,  thinking  that 
he  must  give  up  trying  to  build  his  telegraph  line. 

226.  Miss  Annie  Ellsworth  brings  good  news.  —  The  next 
morning  Miss  Annie  G.  Ellsworth  met  him  as  he  was  com 
ing    down   to    breakfast.     She   was    the    daughter   of  his 
friend  who  had  charge  of  the  Patent  Office  in   Washing 
ton.     She  came  forward  with  a  smile,  grasped  his  hand, 
and  said  that  she  had  good  news  for  him,  that  Congress 
had    decided  to  let    him   have    the    money.     Surely   you 
must   be   mistaken,  said   the  professor,  for   I  waited    last 
night  until  nearly  midnight,  and  came  away  because  noth 
ing  had  been  done.     But,  said  the  young  lady,  my  father 
stayed  until  it  was  quite  midnight,  and  a  few  minutes  before 
the  clock  struck  twelve  Congress  voted2  the  money  ;  it  was 
the  very  last  thing  that  was  done. 

Professor  Morse  was  then  a  gray-haired  man  over  fifty. 
He  had  worked  hard  for  years  and  got  nothing  for  his 
labor.  This  was  his  first  great  success.  He  doesn't  say 
whether  he  laughed  or  cried  —  perhaps  he  felt  a  little  like 
doing  both. 

227.  The  first  telegraph  line  built ;  the  first  message  sent ; 
the  telegraph  and  the  telephone3  now. — When,  at  length, 
Professor  Morse  did    speak,  he   said  to   Miss    Ellsworth, 
"  Now,  Annie,  when  my  line  is  built  from  Washington  to 

1  Senate  Chamber:  Congress  (or  the  body  of  persons  chosen  to  make  the  laws 
of  the  United  States)  is  divided  into  two  classes,  —  Representatives  and  Senators; 
they  meet  in  different  rooms  or  chambers  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington. 

3  Voted  :  here  this  word  means  given  or  granted. 

8  Telephone  (tel'e-fone)  :  this  name  is  made  up  of  two  Greek  words,  the  first 
of  which  means  far  off,  and  the  second,  a  voice  or  sound.  The  telephone  was 
invented  by  Professor  Alexander  G.  Bell  of  Boston;  he  completed  it  in  1876. 
Professor  Bell  now  lives  in  Washington. 


PROFESSOR    MORSE. 


iSl 


Baltimore,  you  shall  send  the  first  message  over  it."  In 
the  spring  of  1844  the  line  was  completed,  and  Miss  Ells 
worth,  by  Professor  Morse,  sent  these 
words  over  it  (they  are  words  taken  from 
the  Bible) :  "  What  hath  God 'wrought 7"1 
For  nearly  a  year  after  that  the  tele 
graph  was  free  to  all  who  wished  to 
use  it  ;  then  a  small  charge  was  made, 
a  very  short  message  costing  only  one 
cent.  On  the  first  of  April,  1845,  a 
man  came  into  the  office  and  bought  WHAT  THE  BlRDS  TH1NK 

a    Cent's   WOrth    Of    telegraphing.        That       TELEGRAPH  WIKESWERE 

PUT  UP  FOR. 

was  all  the  money  which  was  taken 
that  day  for  the  use  of  forty  miles  of  wire.  Now  there 
are  nearly  nine  hundred  thousand  miles  of  telegraph  wire 
in  the  United  States,  or  almost  enough  to  reach  thirty- 
six  times  round  the  earth,  and  the  messages  sent  bring  in 
over  eighty  thousand  dollars  every  day.  We  can  tele 
graph  not  only  across  America,  but  across  the  Atlantic 


How  A  MESSAGE  BY  TELEGRAPH  is  SENT.* 

Ocean,  and  even  to  China,  by  a  line  laid  under  the  sea. 
Professor  Morse's  invention  made  it  possible  to  write  by 
electricity ;  but  now,  by  means  of  the  telephone,3  a  man 
in  New  York  or  Boston  can  talk  with  his  friend  in 


1  See  Num.  xxiii.  23. 

-  When  the  button  at  Chicago  is  pressed  down,  the  electricity  passing  over  the 
wire  to  Denver  presses  the  point  there  down  on  the  paper,  and  so  makes  a  dot  or 
dash  which  stands  for  a  letter  on  the  roll  of  paper  as  it  passes  under  it.  In  this  way 
words  and  messages  are  spelled  out.  The  message  on  the  strip  of  paper  above  is  the 
question,  H<rw  is  trade?  8  Invented  bv  Professor  Bell  of  Boston. 


1 82  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

Chicago,  St.  Louis,  and  many  other  large  cities,  and  his 
friend  listening  at  the  other  end  of  the  wire  can  hear 
every  word  he  says.  Professor  Morse  did  not  live  to  see 
this  wonderful  invention,  which,  in  some  ways,  is  an 
improvement  even  on  his  telegraph. 

228.  Summary.  —  Professor  Morse  invented  the  Electric 
Telegraph.  He  received  much  help  from  Mr.  Alfred  Vail. 
In  1844  Professor  Morse  and  Mr.  Vail  built  the  first  line 
of  telegraph  in  the  United  States,  or  in  the  world.  It 
extended  from  Washington  to  Baltimore.  The  telegraph 
makes  it  possible  for  us  to  send  a  written  message  thou 
sands  of  miles  in  a  moment ;  by  the  telephone,  which  was 
invented  after  Professor  Morse's  death  by  Professor  Bell, 
we  can  talk  with  people  who  are  many  hundreds  of  miles 
away  and  hear  what  they  say  in  reply. 

Tell  how  they  sent  the  news  of  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal.  What  did 
Samuel  Morse  say  to  himself  ?  Tell  about  Morse  as  a  painter.  What  did  he  want 
to  find  ?  What  was  he  talking  about  on  his  voyage  back  to  America  ?  What  is  a 
telegraph  ?  How  can  you  make  a  small  wire  telegraph  ?  What  did  Professor 
Morse  make  ?  How  did  he  live  ?  What  did  he  do  in  1839  ?  How  did  he  get 
help  about  his  telegraph  ?  What  did  he  ask  Congress  to  do  ?  What  did  some 
men  in  Congress  say  ?  What  news  did  Miss  Annie  Ellsworth  bring  him  ?  What 
was  the  first  message  sent  by  telegraph  in  1844  ?  How  many  miles  of  telegraph 
are'  there  now  in  the  United  States  ?  Is  there  a  telegraph  line  under  the  sea  ? 
What  is  said  about  the  telephone  ? 


GENERAL    SAM     HOUSTON 
(1793-1863). 

229.  Sam  Houston  and  the  Indians ;  Houston  goes  to  live 
with  the  Indians.  —  When  General  Jackson  whipped  the 
Indians  in  Alabama,1  a  young  man  named  Sam  Houston2 
fought  under  Jackson  and  was  terribly  wounded.  It  was 

1  See  page  170.  2  Sam  Houston  (Hew'ston):  he  always  wrote  his  name 

Sam  Houston ;  he  was  born  near  Lexington  in  Rockbridge  County,  Virginia. 


GENERAL    SAM    HOUSTON.  183 

thought  that  the  brave  fellow  would  certainly  die,  but  his 
strong  will  carried  him  through,  and  he  lived  to  make  him 
self  a  great  name  in  the  southwest. 

Although  Houston  fought  the  Indians,  yet,  when  a  boy, 
he  was  very  fond  of  them,  and  spent  much  of  his  time 
with  them  in  the  woods  of  Tennessee. 

Long  after  he  became  a  man,  this  love  of  the  wild  life 
led  by  the  red  men  in  the  forest  came  back  to  him.  While 
Houston  was  governor  of  Tennessee  (1829)  he  suddenly 
made  up  his  mind  to  leave  his 
home  and  his  friends,  go  across 
the  Mississippi  River,  and  take 
up  his  abode  with  an  Indian  tribe 
in  that  part  of  the  country.  The 
chief,  who  had  known  him  as  a 
boy,  gave  him  a  hearty  welcome. 
"  Rest  with  us,"  he  said ;  "my  wig 
wam  is  yours."  Houston  stayed 

.,  ,     ,,      '       .,        ,1  SAM  HOUSTON. 

with  the  tribe  three  years. 

230.  Houston  goes  to  Texas;  what  he  said  he  would  do; 
the  murders  at  Alamo  1 ;  the  flag  with  one  star ;  what  Houston 
did ;  Texas  added  to  the  United  States  ;  our  war  with  Mexico. 
-  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  said  to  a  friend,  "  I  am 
going  to  Texas,  and  in  that  new  country  I  will  make  a 
man  of  myself."  Texas  then  belonged  to  Mexico ;  and 
President  Andrew  Jackson  had  tried  in  vain  to  buy  it  as 
Jefferson  bought  Louisiana.  Houston  said,  "  I  will  make 
it  part  of  the  United  States."  About  twenty  thousand 
Americans  had  already  moved  into  Texas,  and  they  felt  as 
he  did. 

War  broke  out  between  Texas  and  Mexico,  and  General 
Sam  Houston  led  the  Texan  soldiers  in  their  fight  for 

1  Alamo  (Al'a-mo). 


1 84  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

independence.  He  had  many  noted  American  pioneers1 
and  hunters  in  his  little  army  :  one  of  them  was  the  brave 
Colonel  Travis2  of  Alabama;  another  was  Colonel  Bowie3 
of  Louisiana,  the  inventor  of  the  "bowie  knife";  still 
another  was  Colonel  David  Crockett  of  Tennessee,  whose 
motto  is  a  good  one  for  every  young  American  — "  Be 
sure  you're  right,  then — go  ahead."  Travis,  Bowie,  and 
Crockett,  with  a  small  force,  held  Fort  Alamo,  an  old 
Spanish  church  in  San  Antonio.  The  Mexicans  stormed  the 
fort  in  overwhelming  numbers  and  killed  every  man  in  it. 
Not  long  after  that,  General  Houston  fought  a  great 
battle  near  the  city  which  is  now  called  by  his  name.4 
The  Mexicans  had  more  than  two  men 
to  every  one  of  Houston's ;  but  the 
Americans  and  Texans  went  into  bat 
tle  shouting  the  terrible  cry  "Remem 
ber  the  Alamo  !  "  and  the  Mexicans 
fled  before  them  like  frightened  sheep. 
Texas  then  became  an  independent 
state,  and  elected  General  Houston 
president.  The  people  of  Texas  raised 

THE  "LONE  STAK"  FLAG.       *  flag  having  Otl  *    *  *™&Q  *^V.       For 

this  reason  it  was  sometimes  called, 
as  it  still  is,  the  "  Lone   Star  State." 

Texas  was  not  contented  to  stand  alone  ;  she  begged  the 
United  States  to  add  her  to  its  great  and  growing  family 
of  states.  This  was  done5  in  1845.  But,  as  we  shall 
presently  see,  a  war  soon  broke  out  (1846)  between  the 
United  States  and  Mexico,  and  when  that  war  was  ended 
we  obtained  a  great  deal  more  land  at  the  west. 


1  Pioneers :  those  who  go  before  to  prepare  the  way  for  others ;  the  first  settlers 
in  a  country  are  its  pioneers. 

2  Travis  (Tra'vis).  8  Bowie  (Bow'e). 

*  See  map  on  page  185.  &  See  map  on  page  185. 


GENERAL    SAM    HOUSTON. 


I8S 


231.  General  Sam  Houston  in  the  great  war  between  the 
North  and  the  South ;  what  he  said.  — We  have  seen  the  part 
which  General  Sam  Houston  took  in  getting  new  country 


Map  showing  the  extent  of  the  United  States  after  we  added  Texas  in  1845.  The  black  and 
white  bars  show  that  the  ownership  of  the  Oregon  country  was  still  in  dispute  between 
the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

to  add  to  the  United  States.  He  lived  in  Texas  for 
many  years  after  that.  When,  in  1861,  the  great  war 
broke  out  between  the  North  and  the  South,  General  Hous 
ton  was  governor  of  the  state.  He  withdrew  from  office 
and  went  home  to  his  log  cabin  in  Huntsville.  He  re 
fused  to  take  any  part  in  the  war,  for  he  loved  the  Union,  — 
that  is,  the  whole  country,  North  and  South  together,  — and 
he  said  to  his  wife,  "My  heart  is  broken."  Before  the 
war  ended  he  was  laid  in  his  grave.1 

232.    Summary.  —  General    Sam  Houston  of   Tennessee 
led  the  people  of  Texas  in  their  war  against  Mexico.     The 

1  General  Houston  was  buried  at  Huntsville,  about  eighty  miles  northwest  of 
the  city  of  Houston,  Texas. 


1 86  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

Texans  gained  the  victory,  and  made  their  country  an 
independent  state  with  General  Houston  as  its  president. 
After  a  time  Texas  was  added  to  the  United  States.  We 
then  had  a  war  with  Mexico,  and  added  a  great  deal  more 
land  at  the  west.  General  Houston  died  during  the  war 
between  the  North  and  the  South. 

Tell  about  Sam  Houston  and  the  Indians.  Where  did  Houston  go  after  he  be 
came  governor  of  Tennessee  ?  Where  did  Houston  go  next  ?  What  did  he  say 
he  would  do  about  Texas  ?  What  was  David  Crockett's  motto  ?  What  is  said 
about  Fort  Alamo  ?  What  about  the  battle  with  the  Mexicans  ?  What  did  Texas 
become  ?  To  what  office  was  Houston  elected  ?  What  is  said  of  the  Texas  flag  ? 
When  was  Texas  added  to  the  United  States  ?  What  war  then  broke  out  ?  What 
did  we  get  by  that  war  ?  What  is  said  of  General  Houston  in  the  great  war  between 
the  North  and  the  South  ? 

CAPTAIN    ROBERT    GRAY 
(1755-1806). 

233.  Captain  Gray  goes  to  the  Pacific  coast  to  buy  furs ; 
he  first  carries  the  Stars  and  Stripes  round  the  globe.  —  Not 
long  after  the  war  of  the  Revolution  had  come  to  an  end 
some  merchants  of  Boston  sent  out  two  vessels  to  Van 
couver1  Island,  on  the  northwest  coast  of  America.  The 
names  of  the  vessels  were  the  Columbia  and  the  Lady 
Washington,  and  they  sailed  round  Cape  Horn  into  the 
Pacific.  Captain  Robert  Gray  went  out  as  commander  of 
one  of  these  vessels.2  He  was  born  in  Rhode  Island3  and 
he  had  fought  in  one  of  our  war-ships  in  the  Revolution. 

Captain  Gray  was  sent  out  by  the  Boston  merchants  to 
buy  furs  from  the  Indians  on  the  Pacific  coast.  He  had 
no  difficulty  in  getting  all  he  wanted,  for  the  savages  were 
glad  to  sell  them  for  very  little.  In  one  case  a  chief  let 

1  Vancouver  (Van-koo'ver)  :  part  of  it  is  seen  north  of  Portland,  Or.,  p.  188. 

2  He  commanded  the  Lady  Washington  at  first,  and  afterward  the  Columbia. 
8  Tiverton,  Rhode  Island. 


CAPTAIN    ROBERT    GRAY. 


i87 


A  SEA-OTTER. 


the  captain  have  two  hundred  sea-otter  skins  such  as  are 
used  for  ladies'  sacks,  and  which  were  worth  about  eight 
thousand  dollars,  for  an  old 
iron  chisel.  After  getting  a 
valuable  cargo  of  furs,  Cap 
tain  Gray  sailed  in  the  Colum 
bia  for  China,  where  he 
bought  a  quantity  of  tea. 
He  then  went  to  the  south, 
round  the  Cape  of  Good 

Hope,  and  keeping  on  toward  the  west  he  reached  Boston 
in  tfie  summer  of  1790.  He  had  been 
gone  about  three  years,  and  he  was  the 
first  man  who  carried  the  American  flag 
clear  round  the  globe. 

234.  Captain  Gray's  second  voyage  to  the 
Pacific  coast;  he  enters  a 
great  river  and  names  it 
the  Columbia;  the  United 
States  claims  the  Oregon 
country ;  we  get  Oregon  in 
1846.  —  Captain  Gray  did 
not  stay  long  at  Boston, 
for  he  sailed  again  that 
autumn  in  the  Columbia 
for  the  Pacific  coast,  to 
buy  more  furs.  He  stayed 
on  that  coast  a  long  time. 
In  the  spring  of  1792  he 
entered  a  great  river  and 
sailed  up  it  a  distance  of 
nearly  thirty  miles.  He 

CAPTAIN  GRAY  EXPLORING  THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER, 

OREGON.  seems  to  have  been  the 


188 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


first  white  man  who  had  ever  actually  entered  it.  He 
named  the  vast  stream  the  Columbia  River,  from  the 
name  of  his  vessel.  It  is  the  largest  American  river  which 
empties  into  the  Pacific  Ocean  south  of  Alaska.1 


Map  showing  the  extent  of  the  United  States  after  we  added  the  Oregon  Country  in  1846. 


Captain  Gray  returned  to  Boston  and  gave  an  account 
of  his  voyage  of  exploration  ;  this  led  Congress  to  claim  the 
country  through  which  the  Columbia  flows2  as  part  of  the 
United  States. 


EMIGRANTS  ON  THEIK  WAY  TO  OREGON  FIFTY  YEARS  AGO. 

1  The  Yukon  River  in  Alaska  is  larger  than  the  Columbia. 

2  The  discovery  and  exploration  of  a  river  usually  gives  the  right  to  a  claim  to 
the  country  watered  by  that  river,  on  the  part  of  the  nation  to  which  the  discoverer 
or  explorer  belongs. 


CAPTAIN    SUTTER.  I  89 

After  Captain  Gray  had  been  dead  forty  years  we 
came  into  possession,  in  1846,  of  the  immense  territory 
then  called  the  Oregon  Country.  It  was  through  what  he 
had  done  that  we  got  our  first  claim  to  that  country  which 
now  forms  the  states  of  Oregon,  Washington  and  Idaho. 

235.  Summary.  —  A   little    over   a   hundred    years    ago 
(1790)  Captain  Robert  Gray  of  Rhode  Island  first  carried 
the  American  flag  round  the  world.     In  1792  he  entered 
and  named  the  Columbia  River.     Because  he  did  that  the 
United  States  claimed  the  country  —  called  the  Oregon 
Country  —  through  which  that  river  runs.     In    1846  we 
added  the  Oregon   Country  to  our  possessions  ;  it  now 
forms  the  two  states  of  Oregon  and  Washington. 

Tell  about  Captain  Gray's  voyage  to  the  Pacific  coast.  What  did  he  buy  there  ? 
What  did  he  first  carry  round  the  globe  ?  Tell  about  his  second  voyage.  What 
did  he  do  in  1792  ?  '  What  happened  after  Captain  Gray  returned  to  Boston  ? 
What  happened  in  1846  ?  What  two  states  were  made  out  of  the  Oregon  Country  ? 

CAPTAIN    SUTTER1 
(1803-1880) . 

236.  Captain  Sutter  and  his  fort ;  how  the  captain  lived. — 

At  the  time  when  Professor  Morse  sent  his  first  message 
by  telegraph  from  Washington  to  Baltimore  (1844),  Cap 
tain  J.  A.  Sutter,  an  emigrant  from  Switzerland,  was  liv 
ing  near  the  Sacramento  River  in  California.  California 
then  belonged  to  Mexico.  The  governor  of  that  part  of 
the  country  had  given  Captain  Sutter  an  immense  piece  of 
land ;  and  the  captain  had  built  a  fort  at  a  point  where 
a  stream  which  he  named  the  American  River  joins  the 
Sacramento  River.2  People  then  called  the  place  Sutter's 

1  Sutler  (Soo'ter).  2  See  map  on  page  190. 


190 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Fort,  but  to-day  it  is  Sacramento  City,  the  capital  of  the 

great  and  rich  state  of  California. 

In  his  fort  Captain  Sutter  lived  like  a  king.     He  owned 

land  enough  to  make  a  thousand  fair-sized  farms  ;  he  had 

twelve  thousand  head  of  cattle, 
more  than  ten  thousand  sheep, 
and  over  two  thousand  horses 
and  mules.  Hundreds  of  labor 
ers  worked  for  him  in  his  wheat- 
fields,  and  fifty  well-armed  sol 
diers  guarded  his  fort.  Quite  a 
number  of  Americans  had  built 

\  r^%f  FranciscoVp. 

tj\^-~^~     houses    near    the   fort.       They 
*fe  v1 

thought  that  the  time  was  com 
ing  when  all  that  country  would  become  part  of  the  United 
States. 

237.  Captain  Sutter  builds  a  saw-mill  at  Coloma ; l  a  man 
finds  some  sparkling  dust.  —  About  forty  miles  up  the  Amer 
ican  River  was  a  place  which  the  Mexicans  called  Coloma, 
or  the  beautiful  valley.  There  was  a  good  fall  of  water 
there  and  plenty  of  big  trees  to  saw  into  boards,  so  Cap 
tain  Slitter  sent  a  man  named  Marshall  to  build  a  saw-mill 
at  that  place.  The  captain  needed  such  a  mill  very  much, 
for  he  wanted  lumber  to  build  with  and  to  fence  his  fields. 

Marshall  set  to  work,  and  before  the  end  of  January, 
1848,  he  had  built  a  dam  across  the  river  and  got  the  saw 
mill  half  done.  One  day  as  he  was  walking  along  the 
bank  of  a  ditch,  which  had  been  dug  back  of  the  mill 
to  carry  off  the  water,  he  saw  some  bright  yellow  specks 
shining  in  the  dirt.  He  gathered  a  little  of  the  sparkling 
dust,  washed  it  clean,  and  carried  it  to  the  house.  That 
evening  after  the  men  had  come  in  from  their  work  on 

l  Coloma  (Ko-lo'ma)  :  see  map  on  page  190. 


CAPTAIN    SUTTER. 


the  mill,  Marshall  said  to  them,  "Boys,  I  believe  I've 
found  a  gold  mine."  They  laughed,  and  one  of  them  said, 
"I  reckon  not;  no  such  luck." 

238.  Marshall  takes  the  shining  dust  to  Captain  Sutter; 
what  he  did  with  it,  and  how  he  felt  about  the  discovery. — 
A  few  days  after  that  Marshall  went  down  to  the  fort  to 
see  Captain  Sutter.  Are  you  alone  ?  he  asked  when  he 
saw  the  captain.  Yes,  he  answered.  Well,  won't  you 


J3$3L 

"^  i^3Hil2t2^^H  >a  i     —  fc*  -i 

-•'-^-V-   -  •"•••'/   ^l^    CIMT  -< 

.-V^-i.^/ -  ^  -.'-•;    "^.. 

4'^>-,-  ;/.~"~,w\V. 

^£3*fr*\&. 

CAPTAIN  SUTTER'S  SAW-MILL  AT  COLOMA,  WHERE  GOLD  WAS  FIRST  FOUND. 

oblige  me  by  locking  the  door ;  I've  something  I  want  to 
show  you.  The  captain  locked  the  door,  and  Marshall 
taking  a  little  parcel  out  of  his  pocket,  opened  it  and  poured 
some  glittering  dust  on  a  paper  he  had  spread  out.  "  See 
here,"  said  he,  "  I  believe  this  is  gold,  but  the  people  at 
the  mill  laugh  at  me  and  call  me  crazy." 

Captain  Sutter  examined  it  carefully.  He  weighed  it ; 
he  pounded  it  flat ;  he  poured  some  strong  acid  on  it. 
There  are  three  very  interesting  things  about  gold.  In 
the  first  place,  it  is  very  heavy,  heavier  even  than  lead. 
Next,  it  is  very  tough.  If  you  hammer  a  piece  of  iron 


192  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

long  enough,  it  will  break  to  pieces,  but  you  can  hammer  a 
piece  of  gold  until  it  is  thinner  than  the  thinnest  tissue 
paper,  so  that  if  you  hold  it  up  you  can  see  the  light  shin 
ing  through  it.  Last  of  all,  if  you  pour  strong  acids  on 
gold,  such  acids  as  will  eat  into  other  metals  and  change 
their  color,  they  will  have  no  more  effect  on  gold  than  an 
acid  like  vinegar  has  on  a  piece  of  glass. 

For  these  and  other  reasons  most  people  think  that 
gold  is  a  very  handsome  metal,  and  the  more  they  see  of 
it,  especially  if  it  is  their  own,  the  better  they  are  pleased 
with  it. 

Well,  the  shining  dust  stood  all  these  tests.1  It  was 
very  heavy,  it  was  very  tough,  and  the  sharp  acid  did  not 
hurt  it.  Captain  Sutter  and  Marshall  both  felt  sure  that 
it  was  gold. 

But,  strange  to  say,  the  captain  was  not  pleased.  He 
wished  to  build  up  an  American  settlement  and  have  it 
called  by  his  name.  He  did  not  care  for  a  gold  mine  — 
why  should  he  ?  for  he  had  everything  he  wanted  without 
it.  He  was  afraid,  too,  that  if  gold  should  be  discovered 
in  any  quantity,  thousands  of  people  would  rush  in  ;  they 
would  dig  up  his  land,  and  quite  likely  take  it  all  away  from 
him.  We  shall  see  presently  whether  he  was  right  or  not. 

239.  War  with  Mexico ;  Mexico  lets  us  have  California  and 
New  Mexico  ;  "  gold  !  gold!  gold  !  "  what  happened  at  Coloma; 
how  California  was  settled ;  what  happened  to  Captain  Sutter 
and  to  Marshall.  —  While  these  things  were  happening  we 
had  been  at  war  with  Mexico  for  two  years  (1846-1848), 
because  Texas  and  Mexico  could  not  agree  about  the  west 
ern  boundary  line  2  of  the  new  state.  Texas  wanted  to 
push  that  line  as  far  west  as  possible  so  as  to  have  more 

1  Tests :  here  experiments  or  trials  made  to  find  out  what  a  thing  is. 

2  Western  boundary  line :   the  people  of  Texas  held  that  their  state  extended 


$$ 


192 


MIRROR  LAKE,  YOSEMITE  VALLEY,  CALIFORNIA. 


CAPTAIN    SUTTER. 


193 


land ;  Mexico  wanted  to  push  it  as  far  east  as  possible  so 
as  to  give  as  little  land  as  she  could.  This  dispute  soon 
brought  on  a  war  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico. 
Soon  after  gold  was  discovered  at  Coloma,  the  war  ended 
(1848);  and  we  got  not  only  all  the  land  the  people  of 
Texas  had  asked  for,  but  an  immense  deal  more ;  for  we 


Map  showing  the  extent  of  the  United  States  in  1848,  after  Mexico  let  us  have  California 
and  New  Mexico. 

obtained  the  great  territory  of  California  and  New  Mexico, 
out  of  which  a  number  of  states  and  territories  have  since 
been  made.1 

In  May,  1848,  a  man  came  to  San  Francisco  holding  up 
a  bottle  full  of  gold-dust  in  one  hand  and  swinging  his 
hat  with  the  other.  As  he  walked  through  the  streets  he 
shouted  with  all  his  might,  "  Gold  !  gold !  gold !  from  the 
American  River." 

west  as  far  as  the  Rio  Grande  River,  but  Mexico  insisted  that  the  boundary  line 
was  at  the  Nueces  River,  which  is  much  further  east. 

1  Namely :  California,  Nevada,  Utah,  and  part  of  Wyoming,  Colorado,  New 
Mexico,  and  Arizona. 


194 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


WASHING  DIRT  TO  GET  OUT  THE  GOLD-DUST. 


Then  the  rush  for  Coloma  began.  Every  man  had  a 
spade  and  a  pick-axe.  In  a  little  while  the  beautiful  valley 
was  dug  so  full  of  holes  that  it  looked  like  an  empty  honey 
comb.  The  next  year 
a  hundred  thousand 
people  poured  into 
California  from  all 
parts  of  the  United 
States ;  so  the  dis 
covery  of  gold  filled 
up  that  part  of  the 
country  with  emi 
grants  years  before 
they  would  have  gone 
if  no  gold  had  been 
found  there. 

Captain  Sutter  lost 
all  his  property.  He  would  have  died  poor  if  the  peo 
ple  of  California  had  not  given  him  money  to  live  on. 

Marshall  was  still  more  to  be  pitied.  He  got  nothing 
by  his  discovery.  Years  after  he  had  found  the  shining 
dust,  some  one  wrote  to  him  and  asked  him  for  his  photo 
graph.  He  refused  to  send  it.  He  said,  "  My  likeness 
...  is,  in  fact,  all  I  have  that  I  can  call  my  9wn ;  and 
I  feel  like  any  other  poor  wretch : l  I  want  something  for 
self." 

240.  How  we  bought  more  land  ;  our  growth  since  the  Revo 
lution. —  Long  before  Captain  Sutter  died,  the  United  States 
bought  from  Mexico  another  great  piece  of  land  (1853), 
marked  on  the  map  by  the  name  of  the  Gadsden  Purchase.2 

1  Wretch  :  here  a  very  unhappy  and  miserable  person. 

2  See  maps  on  pages  195  and  196.     It  was  called  the  Gadsden  Purchase,  because 
General  James  Gadsden  of  South  Carolina  bought  it  from  Mexico  for  the  United 
States,  in  1853.     It  included  what  is  now  part  of  Southern  Arizona  and  N.  Mexico. 


CAPTAIN    SUTTER. 


195 


A  number  of  years  later  (1867)  we  bought  the  territory  of 
Alaska l  from  Russia. 


This  map  shows  the  extent  of  the  United  States  in  1853  after  we  had  added  the  land  called 
the  Gadsden  Purchase,  bought  from  Mexico;  the  land  is  marked  on  the  map,  1853. 

The  Revolution  ended  something  over  a  hundred  years 
ago ;  if  you  look  on  the  map  on  page  147,  and  compare 
it  with  the  maps  which  follow,  you  will  see  how  we  have 
grown  during  that  time.  Then  we  had  only  thirteen  states.2 
They  stretched  along  the  Atlantic,  and,  with  the  country 
west  of  them,  extended  as  far  as  the  Mississippi  River. 

Next  (1803)  we  bought  the  great  territory  of  Louisiana 
(see  map  on  page  148),  which  has  since  been  divided  into 
many  states;  then  (1819)  we  bought  Florida  (see  map  on 
page  173)  ;  then  (1845)  we  added  Texas  (see  map  on  page 
185);  the  next  year  (1846)  we  added  Oregon  territory, 
since  cut  up  into  three  great  states  (see  map  on  page  188) ; 
then  (1848)  we  obtained  California  and  New  Mexico  (see 
map  on  page  193).  Five  years  after  that  (1853)  we  bought 

1  Alaska  :  see  map  facing  page  196. 
8  Thirteen  states :  see  note  on  page  75. 


196 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


the  land  then  known  as  the  Gadsden  Purchase  (see  map 
on  page  195) ;  next  (1867)  we  bought  Alaska  (see  map  on 
page  196);  then  we  annexed  Hawaii*  (1898),  and  now 
(1899)  our  flag  floats  over  a  number  of  other  islands  in 
the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  (see  map  on  page  222). 

241.   **  Brother  Jonathan's  " l  seven  steps.  — If  you  count 
up  the  additions  we  have  made  on  the  North  American 


SCENE  ON  THE  COAST  OF  ALASKA. 

Continent,  you  will  see  that,  beginning  with  Louisiana 
in  1803,  and  ending  with  Alaska  in  1867,  they  number 
seven  in  all.  There  is  a  story  of  a  giant  who  was  so  tall 
that  at  one  long  step  he  could  go  more  than  twenty 
miles  ;  but  "  Brother  Jonathan  "  can  beat  that,  for  in  the 
seven  steps  he  has  taken  since  the  Revolution  he  has  gone 

1  "  Brother  Jonathan"  :  a  name  given  in  fun  to  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
just  as  "  John  Bull"  is  to  the  people  of  England. 

One  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  name  is  this :  General  Washington  had  a 
very  high  opinion  of  the  good  sense  and  sound  judgment  of  Governor  Jonathan 
Trumbull  of  Connecticut.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  no 
one  seemed  to  know  where  to  get  a  supply  of  powder,  General  Washington  said  to 
his  officers,  "  We  must  consult  Brother  Jonathan  on  this  subject."  Afterwards  when 
any  serious  difficulty  arose  it  became  a  common  saying  in  the  army  that  "  We  must 
consult  Brother  Jonathan,"  and  in  time  the  name  came  to  stand  for  the  American 
people.  *  Hawaii  (Hah-wy'ee),  the  Hawaiian  or  Sandwich  Islands. 


mis  map  shows  the  territorial  growth  of  the  United  States 
on  the  North  American  Continent  from  the  time  of  the 
Revolution  to  the  present  day.  See  too  the  map  of  the 
world  on  page  222. 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN.  1 97 

over  three  thousand  miles.  He  stands  now  with  one  foot 
on  the  coast  of  the  Atlantic,  with  the  other  on  that  of  the 
Pacific,  and  he  holds  many  islands  in  his  grasp  besides. 

242.  Summary.  —  In  January,  1848,  gold  was  discovered 
at  Captain  Sutter's  saw-mill  at  Coloma,  California.     Soon 
after  that,  Mexico  let  us  have  California  and  New  Mexico, 
and  they  were  added  to  the  United  States.      Thousands  of 
people,  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  hurried  to  California 
to  dig  gold,  and  so  that  state  grew  more  rapidly  in  popula 
tion  than  any  other  new  part  of  the  United  States  ever  had 
in  the  same  length  of  time.    Before  Captain  Sutter  died  we 
added  the  Gadsden  Purchase  and  Alaska. 

Who  was  Captain  Sutter  ?  Where  did  he  live  ?  Tell  how  he  lived.  What  did 
he  begin  to  build  at  Coloma  ?  Tell  what  Marshall  found  there,  and  what  was  said 
about  it.  Tell  how  Marshall  took  the  shining  dust  to  Captain  Sutter,  and  what  the 
captain  did.  What  made  them  both  certain  that  the  dust  was  gold  ?  Was  the 
captain  pleased  with  the  discovery  ?  What  did  he  think  would  happen  ?  What  is 
said  about  our  war  with  Mexico  ?  What  did  we  fight  about  ?  What  did  we  get  at 
the  end  of  the  war  ?  What  happened  in  May,  1848  ?  Then  what  happened  ?  How 
many  people  went  to  California  ?  What  happened  to  Captain  Sutter  ?  What  is 
said  about  Marshall  ?  What  land  did  we  buy  in  1853  ?  What  in  1867  ? 

How  long  ago  did  the  Revolution  end  ?  How  many  states  did  we  have  then  ? 
[Can  any  one  in  the  class  tell  how  many  we  have  now  '?]  What  land  did  we  buy 
in  1803?  In  1819?  What  did  we  add  in  1845?  In  1846?  In  1848?  What  did 
we  buy  in  1853  ?  In  1867  ?  What  islands  did  we  annex  in  1898  ?  How  many  addi 
tions  have  we  made  in  all  on  the  North  American  continent  ?  What  could  the  giant  do  ? 
What  has  "  Brother  Jonathan  "  done  ?  Where  is  one  foot?  Where  is  the  other? 

» 

ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 
(1809-1865). 

243,  The  tall  man  from  Illinois  making  his  first  speech  in 
Congress ;  how  he  wrote  his  name ;  what  the  people  called  him. 

—  Not  many  days  before  gold  was  found  at  Sutter's  saw 
mill  in  California  (1848),  a  tall,  awkward-looking  man  from 
Illinois  was  making  his  first  speech  in  Congress.  At  that 
time  he  generally  wrote  his  name 


198  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


but  after  he  had  become  President  of  the  United  States, 
he  often  wrote  it  out  in  full,  — 


The  plain  country  people  of  Illinois,  who  knew  all  about 
him,  liked  best  to  call  him  by  the  title  they  had  first  given 
him,  —  "Honest  Abe  Lincoln"  or,  for  short,  "  Honest  Abe." 
Let  us  see  how  he  got  that  name. 

244.  The  Lincoln  family  move  to  Indiana ;  "  Abe  "  helps  his 
father  build  a  new  home  ;  what  it  was  like.  —  Abraham  Lin 
coln  was  born  on  February  I2th,  1809,  in  a  log  shanty  on  a 
lonely  little  farm  in  Kentucky.1  When  "  Abe,"  as  he  was 
called,  was  seven  years  old,  his  father,  Thomas  Lincoln, 
moved,  with  his  family,  to  Indiana;2  there  the  boy  and 
his  mother  worked  in  the  woods  and  helped  him  build  a 
new  home.  That  new  home  was  not  so  good  or  so  com 
fortable  as  some  of  our  cow-sheds  are.  It  was  simply  a 
hut  made  of  rough  logs  and  limbs  of  trees.  It  had  no 
door  and  no  windows.  One  side  of  it  was  left  entirely 
open ;  and  if  a  roving  Indian  or  a  bear  wanted  to  walk  in 
to  dinner,  there  was  nothing  whatever  to  stop  him.  In 
winter  "Abe's"  mother  used  to  hang  up  some  buffalo 
skins  before  this  wide  entrance,  to  keep  out  the  cold, 
but  in  summer  the  skins  were  taken  down,  so  that  living 
in  such  a  cabin  was  the  next  thing  to  living  out-of-doors. 

1  Kentucky :  Abraham  Lincoln  was  born  on  the  banks  of  the  Big  South  Fork 
(or  branch)  of  Nolin  Creek  in  Hardin  (now  La  Rue)  County,  Kentucky. 

2  Indiana:   the  Lincoln  family  moved  to  a  farm  on  Little  Pigeon  Creek,  near 
Gentrvville,  in  what  is  now  Spencer  County,  Indiana. 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 


199 


245.  The  new  log  cabin  with  four  sides  to  it ;  how  the  fur 
niture  was  made;  "Abe's"  bed  in  the  loft.  —  The  Lincoln 
family  stayed  in  that  shed  for  about  a  year;  then  they 
moved  into  a  new  log  cabin  which  had  four  sides  to  it. 
They  seem  to  have  made  a  new  set  of  furniture  for  the 
new  house.  "  Abe's "  father  got  a  large  log,  split  it  in 
two,  smoothed  off  the  flat  side,  bored  holes  in  the  under 
side  and  drove  in  four  stout  sticks  for  legs :  that  made  the 
table.  They  had  no  chairs, 
—  it  would  have  been  too 
much  trouble  to  make  the 
backs, — but  they  had 
three-legged  stools,  which 
Thomas  Lincoln  made 
with  an  axe,  just  as  he  did 
the  table  ;  perhaps  "  Abe" 
helped  him  drive  in  the  legs. 

In  one  corner  of  the  loft 
of  this  cabin  the  boy  had 
a  big  bag  of  dry  leaves  for 
his  bed.  Whenever  he  felt 
like  having  a  new  bed,  all 
that  he  had  to  do  was  to  ^'JWJf.'EH?^ 

gO    OUt    in    the     WOOds     and  HOME-MADE  FURNITURE. 

gather  more  leaves. 

He  worked  about  the  place  during  the  day,  helping  his 
father  and  mother.  For  his  supper  he  had  a  piece  of  corn- 
bread.  After  he  had  eaten  it,  he  climbed  up  to  his  loft  in 
the  dark,  by  a  kind  of  ladder  of  wooden  pins  driven  into 
the  logs.  Five  minutes  after  that  he  was  fast  asleep  on 
his  bed  of  sweet-smelling  leaves,  and  was  dreaming  of  hunt 
ing  coons,  or  of  building  big  bonfires  out  of  brush.1 

1  Brush  :  bushes  and  limbs  of  trees. 


200 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


246.  Death  of  "Abe's"  mother;   the  lonely  grave  in  the 
woods ;  what  Abraham  Lincoln  said  of  his  mother  after  he  had 
grown  to  be  a  man  ;  what  "  Abe's  "  new  mother  said  of  him.  — 

"Abe's"  mother  was 
not  strong,  and  before 
they  had  been  in  their 
new  log  cabin  a  year  she 
fell  sick  and  died.  She 
was  buried  on  the  farm. 
"  Abe  "  used  to  go  out 
and  sit  by  her  lonely 
grave  in  the  forest  and 
cry.  It  was  the  first 
great  sorrow  that  had 
ever  touched  the  boy's 
heart.  After  he  had 
grown  to  be  a  man,  he 
said  with  eyes  full  of 
tears  to  a  friend  with 
whom  he  was  talking  :  "  God  bless  my  mother ;  all  that 
I  am  or  ever  hope  to  be  I  owe  to  her." 

At  the  end  of  a  year  Thomas  Lincoln  married  again. 
The  new  wife  that  he  brought  home  was  a  kind-hearted 
and  excellent  woman.  She  did  all  she  could  to  make  the 
poor,  ragged,  barefooted  boy  happy.  After  he  had  grown 
up  and  become  famous,  she  said  :  "  Abe  never  gave  me 
a  cross  word  or  look,  and  never  refused  to  do  anything  I 
asked  him  :  Abe  was  the  best  boy  I  ever  saw." 

247.  The  school  in  the  woods  ;  the  new  teacher  ;  reading  by 
the  open  fire;  how  "Abe"  used  the  fire-shovel.  —  There  was 
a  log  schoolhouse  in  the  woods  quite  a  distance   off,  and 
there  "  Abe  "  went  for  a  short  time.     At  the   school  he 
learned  to   read  and   write  a  little,  but    after  a  while  he 


"ABE"    LEARNING    TO    USE    HIS    AXE. 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 


2O I 


found  a  new  teacher,  that  was  —  himself.  When  the  rest 
of  the  family  had  gone  to  bed,  he  would  sit  up  and  read 
his  favorite  books  by  the  light  of  the  great  blazing  logs 
heaped  up  on  the  open  fire.  He  had  not  more  than  half  a 
dozen  books  in  all.  They  were  "Robinson  Crusoe,"  "Pil 
grim's  Progress,"  yEsop's  1  Fables,  the  Bible,  a  Life  of 
Washington,  and  a  small  History  of  the  United  States. 
The  boy  read  these 
books  over  and  over 
till  he  knew  a  great 
deal  of  them  by  heart 
and  could  repeat 
whole  pages  fron: 
them. 

Part  of  his  even 
ings  he  spent  in  writ 
ing  and  ciphering. 
Thomas  Lincoln  was 
so  poor  that  he  could 
seldom  afford  to  buy 
paper  and  pens  for  his 
son,  so  the  boy  had  to 
get  on  without  them. 
He  used  to  take  the 
back  of  the  broad 
wooden  fire-shovel  to  write  on  and  a  piece  of  charcoal  for 


(E'sop)  :  the  name  of  a  noted  writer  of  fables.  Here  is  one 
fables':  An  old  frog  thought  that  he  could  blow  himself  up  to  be  as  big  as  an  ox. 
So  he  drew  in  his  breath  and  puffed  himself  out  prodigiously.  "  Am  I  big  enough 
now  ?  "  he  asked  his  son.  "  No,"  said  his  son  ;  "  you  don't  begin  to  be  as  big  as  an 
ox  yet."  Then  he  tried  again,  and  swelled  himself  out  still  more.  "  How's  that  ?  " 
he  asked.  "  Oh,  it's  no  use  trying,"  said  his  son,  "  you  can't  do  it."  "  But  I  will,"  said 
the  old  frog.  With  that  he  drew  in  his  breath  with  all  his  might  and  puffed  himself 
up  to  such  an  enormous  size  that  he  suddenly  burst. 
Moral  :  Don't  try  to  be  bigger  than  you  can. 


202  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

a  pencil.  When  he  had  covered  the  shovel  with  words  or 
with  sums  in  arithmetic,  he  would  shave  it  off  clean  and 
begin  over  again.  If  "Abe's  "  father  complained  that  the 
shovel  was  getting  thin,  the  boy  would  go  out  into  the 
woods,  cut  down  a  tree,  and  make  a  new  one  ;  for  as 
long  as  the  woods  lasted,  fire-shovels  and  furniture  were 
cheap. 

248.  What  Lincoln  could  do  at  seventeen ;  what  he  was  at 
nineteen  ;  his  strength.  —  By  the  time  the  lad  was  seven 
teen  he  could  write  a  good  hand,  do  hard  examples  in  long 
division,  and  spell  better  than  any  one  else  in  the  county. 
Once  in  a  while  he  wrote  a  little  piece  of  his  own  about 
something  which  interested  him ;  when  the  neighbors 
heard  it  read,  they  would  say,  "  The  world  can't  beat  it." 

At  nineteen  Abraham  Lincoln  had  reached  his  full 
height.  He  stood  nearly  six  feet  four  inches,  barefooted. 
He  was  a  kind  of  good-natured  giant.  No  one  in  the 
neighborhood  could  strike  an  axe  as  deep  into  a  tree  as  he 

could,  and  few,  if  any, 
were  equal  to  him  in 
strength.  It  takes  a  pow 
erful  man  to  put  a  barrel 
of  flour  into  a  wagon 
without  help,  and  there  is 
not  one  in  a  hundred  who 

LINCOLN  ON  THE  FLAT-BOAT  GOING  DOWN  THE     Can    lift    a    barrel    of    Cider 
MISSISSIPPI  RIVER.  rr    ,  i  i        v     *.    •*_    • 

off  the  ground  ;  but  it  is 

said  that  young  Lincoln  could  stoop  down,  lift  a  barrel 
on  to  his  knees,  and  drink  from  the  bung-hole. 

249.  Young  Lincoln  makes  a  voyage  to  New  Orleans ;  how 
he  handled  the  robbers.  —  At  this  time  a  neighbor  hired 
Abraham  to  go  with  his  son  to  New  Orleans.  The  two 
young  men  were  to  take  a  flat-boat  loaded  with  corn  and 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 


203 


other  produce  down  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi.  It  was 
called  a  voyage  of  about  eighteen  hundred  miles,  and  it 
would  take  between  three  and  four  weeks. 

Young  Lincoln  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  thought  of 
making  such  a  trip.  He  had  never  been  away  any  distance 
from  home,  and,  as  he  told  his  father,  he  felt  that  he 
wanted  to  see  something  more  of  the  world.  His  father 
made  no  objection,  but,  as  he  bade  his  son  good  by,  he 
said,  Take  care  that  in  trying  to  see  the  world  you  don't 
see  the  bottom  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  two  young  men  managed  to  get  the  boat  through 
safely.  But  one 
night  a  gang  of 
negroes  came  on 
board,  intending  to 
rob  them  of  part  of 
their  cargo.  Lin 
coln  soon  showed 
the  robbers  he 
could  handle  a  club 
as  vigorously  as  he 
could  an  axe,  and 
the  rascals,  bruised 
and  bleeding,  were 
glad  to  get  off  with 
their  lives. 

250.  The  Lincolns  move  to  Illinois;  what  Abraham  did; 
hunting  frolics  ;  how  Abraham  chopped ;  how  he  bought  his 
clothes.  —  Not  long  after  young  Lincoln's  return,  his  father 
moved  to  Illinois.1  It  was  a  two  weeks'  journey  through 

1  Illinois :  he  moved  to  a  farm  on  the  North  Fork  (or  branch)  of  the  Sangamon 
River,  Macon  County,  Illinois.  Springfield,  the  capital  of  the  state,  is  in  the  next 
county  west. 


TWR  LOG  CABIN  IN  ILLINOIS  WHICH  LINCOLN  HELPED 
HIS  FATHER  BUILD. 


2O4 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


the  woods  with  ox-teams.  Abraham  helped  his  father 
build  a  comfortable  log  cabin ;  then  he  and  a  man  named 
John  Hanks  split  walnut  rails,  and  fenced  in  fifteen  acres 
of  land  for  a  cornfield. 

That  part  of  the  country  had  but  few  settlers,  and  it 
was  still  full  of  wild  beasts.  When  the  men  got  tired 
of  work  and  wanted  a  frolic,  they  had  a  grand  wolf-hunt. 
First,  a  tall  pole  was  set  up  in  a  clearing l ;  next,  the 
hunters  in  the  woods  formed  a  great  circle  of  perhaps 
ten  miles  in  extent.  Then  they  began  to  move  nearer 
and  nearer  together,  beating  the  bushes  and  yelling  with 

all  their  might.  The  frightened 
wolves,  deer,  and  other  wild  crea 
tures  inside  of  the  circle  of  hun 
ters  were  driven  to  the  pole  in 
the  clearing ;  there  they  were 
shot  down  in  heaps. 

Young  Lincoln  was  not  much 
of  a  hunter,  but  he  always  tried 
to  do  his  part.  Yet,  after  all, 
he  liked  the  axe  better  than 
he  did  the  rifle.  He  would 
start  off  before  light  in  the 
morning  and  walk  to  his  work 
in  the  woods,  five  or  six  miles 
away.  There  he  would  chop 
steadily  all  day.  The  neighbors 
knew,  when  they  hired  him, 
that  he  wouldn't  sit  down  on  the  first  log  he  came  to 
and  fall  asleep.  Once  when  he  needed  a  new  pair  of 
trousers,  he  made  a  bargain  for  them  with  a  Mrs.  Nancy 
Miller.  She  agreed  to  make  him  a  certain  number  of 

1  Clearing :  an  open  space  made  in  a  forest. 


LINCOLN  SPLITTING  LOGS  FOR  RAILS. 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 

yards  of  tow  cloth,1  and  dye  it  brown  with  walnut  bark. 
For  every  yard  she  made,  Lincoln  bound  himself  to  split 
four  hundred  good  fence-rails  for  her.  In  this  way  he 
made  his  axe  pay  for  all  his  clothes. 

251.  Lincoln  hires  out  to  tend  store;  the  gang  of  ruffians 
in  New  Salem;  Jack  Armstrong  and  "Tall  Abe."  —  The  year 
after  young  Lincoln  came  of  age  he  hired  out  to  tend  a 
grocery  and  variety  store  in  New  Salem,  Illinois.2     There 
was  a  gang  of  young  ruffians  in  that  neighborhood  who 
made  it  a  point  to  pick  a  fight  with  every  stranger.    Some 
times  they  mauled  him  black  and  blue ;  sometimes  they 
amused  themselves  with  nailing  him   up  in  a  hogshead 
and  rolling  him  down  a  hill.     The  leader  of  this  gang 
was  a  fellow  named  Jack  Armstrong.     He  made  up  his 
mind  that  he  would  try  his  hand  on  "Tall  Abe,"  as  Lin 
coln   was  called.     He  attacked   Lincoln,   and  he  was  so 
astonished  at  what  happened  to  him  that  he  never  wanted 
to  try  it  again.     From  that  time  Abraham  Lincoln  had  no 
better  friends  than  young  Armstrong  and  the  Armstrong 
family.     Later  on  we  shall  see  what  he  was  able  to  do  for 
them. 

252.  Lincoln's  faithfulness  in  little  things ;  the  six  cents ; 
"Honest  Abe."  —  In  his  work  in  the  store  Lincoln  soon  won 
everybody's  respect  and  confidence.     He  was  faithful  in 
little  things,  and  in  that  way  he  made  himself  able  to  deal 
with  great  ones. 

Once  a  woman  made  a  mistake  in  paying  for  something 
she  had  bought,  and  gave  the  young  man  six  cents  too 
much.  He  did  not  notice  it  at  the  time,  but  after  his 
customer  had  gone  he  saw  that  she  had  overpaid  him. 

1  Tow  cloth  :  a  kind  of  coarse,  cheap,  but  very  strong  cloth,  made  of  flax  or  hemp. 

2  New  Salem  is  on  the  Sangamon  River,  in  Menard  County,  about  twenty  miles 
northwest  of  Springfield,  the  capital  of  Illinois. 


206  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

That  night,  after  the  store  was  closed,  Lincoln  walked  to 
the  woman's  house,  some  five  or  six  miles  out  of  the  vil 
lage,  and  paid  her  back  the  six  cents.  It  was  such  things 
as  this  that  first  made  the  people  give  him  the  name  of 
"  Honest  Abe." 

253.  The  Black  Hawk  War;  the  Indian's  handful  of  dry 
leaves;  what  Lincoln  did  in  the  war.  —  The  next  year  Lin 
coln  went  to  fight  the  Indians  in  what  was  called  the 
Black  Hawk  War.  The  people  in  that  part  of  the  country 
had  been  expecting  the  war ;  for,  some  time  before,  an  In 
dian  had  walked  up  to  a  settler's  cabin  and  said,  "Too 
much  white  man."  He  then  threw  a  handful  of  dry 
leaves  into  the  air,  to  show  how  he  and  his  warriors 
were  coming  to  scatter  the  white  men.  He  never  came, 
but  a  noted  chief  named  Black  Hawk,  who  had  been  a 
friend  of  Tecumseh's,1  made  an  attempt  to  drive  out  the 
settlers,  and  get  back  the  lands  which  certain  Indians 
had  sold  them. 

Lincoln  said  that  the  only  battles  he-  fought  in  this 
war  were  with  the  mosquitoes.  He  never  killed  a  single 

Indian,  but  he  saved  the  life  of 
,  fr<     o  one  old   savage.      He   seems   to 

have  felt  just  as  well  satisfied 
with  himself  for  doing  that  as 
though  he  had  shot  him  through 
the  head. 

254.  Lincoln  becomes  postmaster 
and  surveyor  ;  how  he  studied  law ; 
what  the  people  thought  of  him 

LINCOLN  READING  LAW.          as  a  lawyer.  —  After  Lincoln  re 
turned  from  the  war  he  was  made 
postmaster  of   New   Salem.      He  also  found  time  to  do 

1  Tecumseh  :  see  page  158. 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN.  2O/ 

some  surveying  and  to  begin  the  study  of  law.  On  hot 
summer  mornings  he  might  be  seen  lying  on  his  back, 
on  the  grass,  under  a  big  tree,  reading  a  law-book  ;  as 
the  shade  moved  round,  Lincoln  would  move  with  it,  so 
that  by  sundown  he  had  travelled  nearly  round  the  tree. 

When  he  began  to  practise  law,  everybody  who  knew 
him  had  confidence  in  him.  Other  men  might  be  ad 
mired  because  they  were  smart,  but  Lincoln  was  respected 
because  he  was  honest.  When  he  said  a  thing,  people 
knew  that  it  was  because  he  believed  it,  and  they  knew, 
too,  that  he  could  not  be  hired  to  say  what  he  did  not 
believe.  That  gave  him  immense  influence. 

255.  The  Armstrong  murder  trial ;  how  Lincoln  saved  young 
Armstrong*  from  being  hanged. — But  Lincoln  was  as  keen 
as  he  was  truthful  and  honest.  A  man  was  killed  in  a 
fight  near  where  Lincoln  had  lived,  and  one  of  Jack  Arm 
strong's  1  brothers  was  arrested  for  the  murder.  Every 
body  thought  that  he  was  guilty,  and  felt  sure  that  he 
would  be  hanged.  Lincoln  made  some  inquiry  about  the 
case,  arid  made  up  his  mind  that  the  prisoner  did  not  kill 
the  man. 

Mrs.  Armstrong  was  too  poor  to  hire  a  lawyer  to  defend 
her  son,  but  Lincoln  wrote  to  her  that  he  would  gladly 
do  it  for  nothing. 

When  the  day  of  the  trial  came,  the  chief  witness  was 
sure  that  he  saw  young  Armstrong  strike  the  man  dead. 
Lincoln  questioned  him  closely.  He  asked  him  when  it 
was  that  he  saw  the  murder  committed.  The  witness  said 
that  it  was  in  the  evening,  at  a  certain  hour,  and  that  he 
saw  it  all  clearly  because  there  was  a  bright  moon.  Are 
you  sure  ?  asked  Lincoln.  Yes,  replied  the  witness.  Do 
you  swear  to  it  ?  I  do,  answered  the  witness.  Then  Lin- 

1  See  Jack  Armstrong:,  on  page  205. 


208 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


coin  took  an  almanac  out  of  his  pocket,  turned  to  the  day 
of  the  month  on  which  the  murder  had  been  committed, 
and  said  to  the  court :  The  almanac  shows  that  there  was 
no  moon  shining  at  the  time  at  which  the  witness  says  he 
saw  the  murder.1  The  jury  was  convinced  that  the  witness 
had  not  spoken  the  truth  ;  they  declared  the  prisoner  "Not 
guilty,"  and  he  was  at  once  set  free. 

Lincoln  was  a  man  who  always  paid  his  debts.  Mrs. 
Armstrong  had  been  very  kind  to  him  when  he  was  poor 
and  friendless.  Now  he  had  paid  that  debt. 

256.  Lincoln  and  the  pig.  —  Some  men  have  hearts  big 
enough  to  be  kind  to  their  fellow-men  when  they  are  in 
trouble,  but  not  to  a  dumb  animal.  Lincoln's  heart  was 
big  enough  for  both. 

One  morning  just  after  he  had  bought  a  new  suit  of 
clothes  he  started  to  drive  to  the  court-house,  a  number  of 

miles  distant.  On  the  way  he 
saw  a  pig  that  was  making  des 
perate  efforts  to  climb  out  of 
a  deep  mud-hole.  The  creature 
would  get  part  way  up  the 
slippery  bank,  and  then  slide 
back  again  over  his  head  in 
mire  and  water.  Lincoln  said 
to  himself :  I  suppose  that  I 
ought  to  get  out  and  help  that 
pig;  for  if  he's  left  there,  he'll  smother  in  the  mud. 
Then  he  gave  a  look  at  his  glossy  hew  clothes.  He  felt 
that  he  really  couldn't  afford  to  spoil  them  for  the  sake  of 
any  pig,  so  he  whipped  up  his  horse  and  drove  on.  But 

1  The  almanac  usually  gives  the  time  when  the  moon  rises ;  and  so  by  looking 
at  any  particular  day  of  the  month,  one  can  tell  whether  there  was  a  moon  on  that 
evening. 


LINCOLN  AND  THE  PIG. 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN.  2O9 

the  pig  was  in  his  mind,  and  he  could  think  of  nothing 
else.  After  he  had  gone  about  two  miles,  he  said  to  him 
self,  I've  no  right  to  leave  that  poor  creature  there  to  die 
in  the  mud,  and  what  is  more,  I  won't  leave  him.  Turning 
his  horse,  he  drove  back  to  the  spot.  He  got  out  and  carried 
half  a  dozen  fence-rails  to  the  edge  of  the  hole,  and  placed 
them  so  that  he  could  get  to  it  without  falling  in  himself. 
Then,  kneeling  down,  he  bent  over,  seized  the  pig  firmly 
by  the  fore  Jegs  and  drew  him  up  on  to  the  solid  ground, 
where  he  was  safe.  The  pig  grunted  out  his  best  thanks, 
and  Lincoln,  plastered  with  mud,  but  with  a  light  heart, 
drove  on  to  the  court-house. 

257.  Lincoln  is  elected  to  the  state  legislature ;  he  goes  to 
Springfield  to  live ;  he  is  elected  to  Congress.  —  Many  people 
in  Illinois  thought  that  they  would  like  to  see  such  a  man 
in  the  state  legislature 1  helping  to  make  their  laws. 
They  elected  him ;  and  as  he  was  too  poor  at  that  time 
to  pay  so  much  horse-hire,  he  walked  from  New  Salem,  a 
distance  of  over  a  hundred  miles,  to  Vandalia,2  which  was 
then  the  capital  of  the  state. 

Lincoln  was  elected  to  the  legislature  many  times  ;  later, 
he  moved  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  made  that  place  his 
home  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

The  next  time  the  people  elected  him  to  office,  they 
sent  him  to  Congress  to  help  make  laws,  not  for  his  state 
only,  but  for  the  whole  country.  He  had  got  a  long  way 
up  since  the  time  when  he  worked  with  John  Hanks3 
fencing  the  cornfield  round  his  father's  cabin  ;  but  he  was 
going  higher  still,  —  he  was  going  to  the  top. 


1  Legislature:  persons  chosen  by  the  people  of  a  state  or  country  to  make  its 
laws. 

2  Vandalia  (Van-da'li-a).  8  John  Hanks:  see  page  204. 


2  TO  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

258.  The  meeting  for  choosing  a  candidate 4  for  President  of 
the  United  States ;  the  two  fence-rails ;  the  Chicago  meeting ; 
Abraham  Lincoln  elected  President  of  the  United  States.  —  In 

the  spring  of  1860  a  great  convention,  or  meeting,  was 
held  in  one  of  the  towns  of  Illinois.  Lincoln  was  present 
at  that  convention.  The  object  of  the  people  who  had 
gathered  there  was  to  choose  a  candidate  that  they  would 
like  to  see  elected  President  of  the  United  States.  A 
number  of  speeches  had  been  made,  when  a  member  of  the 
convention  rose  and  said  that  a  person  asked  the  privilege 
of  making  the  meeting  a  present.  It  was  voted  to  receive 
it.  Then  John  Hanks  and  one  of  his  neighbors  brought 
in  two  old  fence-rails  and  a  banner  with  these  words 
painted  on  it  :  — 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN, 
THE    RAIL    CANDIDATE    FOR    THE    PRESIDENCY 

IN    I860. 
TWO    RAILS    FROM    A    LOT    OF   3000 

MADE    IN    1830 
BY    JOHN     HANKS    AND    ABE    LINCOLN. 


The  rails  were  received  with  cheer  after  cheer,  and  Lin 
coln  was  chosen  candidate.  About  a  week  after  that  a 
much  greater  meeting  was  held  in  Chicago,  and  he  was 
chosen  there  in  the  same  way.  The  next  November 
Abraham  Lincoln,  "the  Illinois  rail-splitter,"  was  elected 
President  of  the  United  States.  He  had  reached  the  top. 
There  he  was  to  die. 

4  Candidate  (can'di-date)  :  a  person  who  seeks  some  office,  such  as  that  of 
governor  or  president,  or  a  person  who  is  recommended  by  a  party  for  such -an 
office.  The  people  in  favor  of  the  candidate  vote  for  him ;  and  if  he  gets  a  suffi 
cient  number  of  votes,  he  is  elected. 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN.  211 

259.  The  great  war  between  the  North  and  the  South ;  why 
a  large  part  of  the  people  of  the  South  wished  to  leave  the 
Union.  —  In  less  than  six  weeks  after  Lincoln  actually 
became  President,  in  the  spring  of  1861,  a  terrible  war 
broke  out  between  the  North  and  the  South.  The  people 
of  South  Carolina  fired  the  first  gun  in  that  war.  They, 
together  with  a  great  part  of  the  people  of  ten  other 
southern  states,  resolved  to  leave  the  Union.1  They  set 
up  an  independent  government  called  the  Confederate 
States  of  America,  and  made  Jefferson  Davis  its  president. 

The  main  reason  why  so  many  of  the  people  of  the 
South  wished  to  withdraw  from  the  United  States  was 
that  little  by  little  the  North  and  the  South  had  become 
like  two  different  countries. 

At  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  when  we  broke  away 
from  the  rule  of  England,  every  one  of  the  states  held 
negro  slaves ;  but  in  the  course  of  eighty  years  a  great 
change  had  taken  place.  The  negroes  at  the  North  had 
become  free,  but  those  of  the  South  still  remained  slaves. 
Now  this  difference  in  the  way  of  doing  work  made  it 
impossible  for  the  North  and  the  South  to  agree  about 
many  things. 

They  had  come  to  be  like  two  boys  in  a  boat  who  want 
to  go  in  opposite  directions.  One  pulls  one  way  with  his 
oars,  the  other  pulls  another  way,  and  so  the  boat  does  not 
get  ahead. 

At  the  South  most  of  the  people  thought  that  slavery 
was  right,  and  that  it  helped  the  whole  country ;  at  the 

1  Union :  several  years  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  by  which  we 
gained  our  independence  of  Great  Britain,  the  people  of  the  thirteen  states  formed 
a  new  government.  That  new  government  bound  all  the  states  together  more 
strongly  than  before,  thus  making,  as  was  then  said,  "  a  more  perfect  union" 

In  1861  eleven  of  the  southern  states  endeavored  to  withdraw  from  the  Union; 
this  attempt  brought  on  the  war. 


212 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


North  the  greater  part  of  the  people  were  convinced  that 
it  was  wrong,  and  that  it  did  harm  to  the  whole  country. 


STATUE  OF  LINCOLN  WRITING  THE  EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION  WHICH  GAVE  THE 
SLAVES  THEIR  FREEDOM,  IN  FAIRMOUNT  PARK,   PHILADELPHIA. 

But  this  was  not  all.  The  people  who  held  slaves  at 
the  South  wanted  to  add  to  the  number.  They  hoped  to 
get  more  of  the  new  country  west  of  the  Mississippi  River 


ABRAHAM    LINCOLN. 


213 


for  slave  states,  so  that  there  might  always  be  at  least  as 
many  slave  states  in  the  Union  as  there  were  free  states. 


MONUMENT  TO  GENERAL  GRANT  IN  LINCOLN  PARK,  CHICAGO. 

But  Abraham  Lincoln  like  most  of  the  people  at  the  North 
believed  that  slavery  did  no  good  to  any  one.  He  and  his 
party  were  fully  determined  that  no  slaves  whatever  should 


214 


THE    BEGINNER'S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


be  taken  into  the  territories  west  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
and  that  every  new  state  which  should  be  added  should  be 
entirely  free. 

For  this  reason  it  happened  that  when  Lincoln  became 
President  most  of  the  slave  states  resolved  to  leave  the 
Union,  and,  if  necessary,  to  make  war  rather  than  be  com 
pelled  to  stay  in  it. 

260.  The  North  and  the 
South  in  the  war ;  President 
Lincoln  frees  the  slaves ;  Gen 
eral  Grant  and  General  Lee ; 
peace  is  made.  —  The  North 
had  the  most  men  and  the 
most  money  to  fight  with, 
but  the  people  of  the  South 
had  the  advantage  of  being 
able  to  stay  at  home  and 
fight  on  their  own  ground. 
The  war  lasted  four  years 
(1861-1865).      Many  terri 
ble   battles    were    fought ; 
thousands    of    brave    men 
were  killed  on  both 
sides.      During    the 
war    President    Lin 
coln  gave  the  slaves 
their  freedom  in  all 
the  states  which  were 
fighting  against  the 
Union,  and  those  in 
the  other  slave  states 
got     their     freedom 

MONUMENT  TO  GENERAL  LEE.  RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA.       later.       /xllCr    3,   time 


A6RAHAM    LINCOLN. 


21$ 


General  Grant  obtained  the  command  of  all  the  armies 
of  the  North,  and  General  Lee  became  the  chief  defender 
of  the  South. 

The  last  battles  were  fought  around  Richmond,  Virginia, 
between  these  two  great  generals.  When  the  Southern 
soldiers  saw  that  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  fight  longer, 
they  laid  down  their  arms,  and  peace  was  made  —  a  peace 
honorable  to  both  sides. 


MONUMENT  OVER  THE  GRAVE  OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN,  AT  SPRINGFIELD,  ILLINOIS. 

261.  The  success  of  the  North  preserves  the  Union  and 
makes  all  slaves  free ;  the  North  and  the  South  shake  hands ; 
murder  of  President  Lincoln.  —  The  success  of  the  North  in 
the  war  preserved  the  Union,  and  as  all  negro  laborers  were 
now  free,  there  was  no  longer  any  dispute  about  slavery. 
The  North  and  the  South  could  shake  hands  and  be  friends, 
for  both  were  now  ready  to  pull  in  the  same  direction. 

The  saddest  thing  at  the  close  of  the  war  was  the 
murder  of  President  Lincoln  by  a  madman  named  Booth. 


2i6  THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 

Not  only  the  people  of  the  North  but  many  of  those  at  the 
South  shed  tears  at  his  death,  because  they  felt  that  they 
had  an  equal  place  in  his  great  heart.  He  loved  both,  as 
a  true  American  must  ever  love  his  whole  country. 

262.  Summary.  —  Abraham  Lincoln,  of  Illinois,  became 
President  of  the  United  States  in  1861.  He  was  elected 
by  a  party  in  the  North  that  was  determined  that  slaves 
should  not  be  taken  into  free  states  or  territories,  and  that 
no  more  slave  states  should  be  made.  On  this  account 
most  of  the  slave-holding  states  of  the  South  resolved  to 
withdraw  from  the  Union.  A  great  war  followed,  and 
President  Lincoln  gave  the  slaves  their  freedom.  The 
North  succeeded  in  the  war,  and  the  Union  was  made 
stronger  than  ever,  because  the  North  and  the  South 
could  no  longer  have  any  dispute  over  slavery.  Both 
sides  now  shook  hands  and  became  friends. 

Who  was  the  tall  man  in  Congress  from  Illinois  ?  What  did  the  people  of  his 
state  like  to  call  him  ?  When  was  Abraham  Lincoln  born  ?  Where  was  he  born  ? 
To  what  state  did  his  father  move  ?  Tell  about  "  Abe's  "  new  home.  Tell  about 
the  new  cabin  and  its  furniture.  Tell  about  "Abe's  "  bed.  What  is  said  about  the 
boy's  mother  ?  What  did  "  Abe  "  do  ?  What  did  he  say  after  he  became  a.  man  ? 
What  did  Thomas  Lincoln's  new  wife  say  about  "  Abe  "?  Tell  about  "  Abe's  " 
going  to  school ;  about  his  new  teacher ;  about  his  books.  What  did  he  use  to 
write  on  ?  What  is  said  of  Abraham  Lincoln  at  seventeen  ?  What  about  him 
when  he  was  nineteen  ?  Tell  about  his  voyage  to  New  Orleans. 

Tell  about  his  moving  to  Illinois.  What  did  Abraham  Lincoln  and  John 
Hanks  do  ?  Tell  about  the  hunting  frolics.  Tell  how  Lincoln  chopped  in  the 
woods.  What  kind  of  a  bargain  did  he  make  for  a  new  pair  of  trousers  ?  What 
did  Abraham  Lincoln  hire  out  to  do  in  New  Salem  ?  Tell  about  the  gang  of  ruf 
fians.  What  is  said  of  Jack  Armstrong  ?  Why  did  Lincoln  get  the  name  of 
"  Honest  Abe  "  ?  Tell  about  the  Black  Hawk  War.  What  did  Lincoln  do  in  that 
war. 

After  he  returned  from  the  Black  Hawk  War,  what  did  Lincoln  do  ?  Tell  how 
he  used  to  read  law.  What  did  people  think  of  him  after  he  began  to  practise  law  ? 
Tell  about  the  Armstrong  murder  trial.  Tell  about  Lincoln  and  the  pig.  To  what 
did  the  people  of  Illinois  elect  Lincoln  ?  Did  they  ever  elect  him  to  the  state  leg 
islature  again  ?  Then  where  did  they  send  him  ?  Was  he  going  anv  higher  ? 

Tell  about  the  great  meeting  in  one  of  the  towns  of  Illinois  in  1860.  Can  any 
one  in  the  class  repeat  what  was  on  the  banner  ?  What  happened  at  Chicago  ? 
What  the  next  November  ?  What  happened  in  the  spring  of  1861  ?  Who  fired 
the  first  gun  in  the  war  ?  What  was  done  then  ? 

Tell  why  so  many  people  in  the  South  wished  to  leave  the  Union  ?  What  is 
said  about  negro  slaves  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  ?  What  happened  in  the 
course  of  eighty  years  ?  What  had  the  North  and  the  South  come  to  be  like  ? 
How  did  most  of  the  people  at  the  South  feel  about  slavery  ?  How  did  most  of 


SINCE    THE   WAR. 


217 


the  people  at  the  North  feel  about  it  ?  What  did  the  people  who  held  slaves  at 
the  South  want  to  do  ?  What  did  most  of  the  people  at  the  North  think  about 
this  ?  What  is  said  about  Abraham  Lincoln  and  his  party  ?  How  did  most 
of  the  people  of  the  slave  states  feel  when  Lincoln  became  President  ? 

What  is  said  about  the  North  and  the  South  in  the  war  ?  How  long  did 
the  war  last  ?  What  is  said  about  it  ?  What  did  President  Lincoln  do  for  the 
slaves  ?  After  a  time  what  general  got  the  command  of  all  the  armies  of  the 
North  ?  Who  became  the  chief  defender  of  the  South  ?  Where  were  the  last 
battles  fought  ?  What  did  the  South  do  at  last  ?  What  happened  then  ?  What 
did  the  success  of  the  North  do  ?  What  is  said  about  slavery  ?  What  could  the 
North  and  the  South  do  ?  What  was  the  saddest  thing  which  happened  at  the 
close  of  the  war  ?  How  did  the  North  and  the  South  feel  about  President  Lincoln  ? 


SINCE   THE   WAR. 

263.   How  the  North  and  the  South  have  grown  since  the 
war ;  the  great  West.  —  Since  the  war  the  united  North  and 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  ENGINES  FROM  THE  EAST  AND  THE  WEST  AFTER  THE  LAST  SPIKE 
WAS   DRIVEN  l   ON   THE    COMPLETION   OF  THE  FIRST  RAILROAD  TO  THE  PACIFIC  IN 


1  The  last  spikes  (one  of  gold  from  California,  one  of  silver  from  Nevada,  and 
one  made  of  gold,  silver,  and  iron  from  Arizona)  were  driven  just  as  the  clock 
struck  twelve  (noon)  on  May  loth,  1869,  at  Promontory  Point,  near  Salt  Lake,  Utah. 
Every  blow  of  the  hammer  was  telegraphed  throughout  the  United  States. 


218 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


South  have  grown  and  prospered  l  as  never  before.     At 
the  South  many  new  and  flourishing  towns  and  cities  have 

sprung  up.  Mines  of  coal  and 
iron  have  been  opened,  hundreds 
of  cotton-mills  and  factories  have 
been  built,  and  long  lines  of  rail 
roads  have  been  constructed. 

At  the  West  changes  equally 
great  have  taken  place.  Cities 
have  risen  up  in  the  wilderness, 
mines  of  silver  and  gold  have 
been  opened,  and  immense  farms 
and  cattle  ranches  2  produce  food 
enough  to  feed  all  America. 
Five  great  lines  of  railroads 
have  been  built  which  connect 

with  railroads  at  the  East,  and  stretch  across  the  continent 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.     Into  that  vast  country 


PILING  SILVER  BRICKS. 
(From  the  silver  mines  in  Colorado.) 


HOW   THEY    USED   TO    SHOOT    BUFFALO   IN    THE    FAR    WEST. 


1  Prospered :  to  prosper  is  to  succeed,  to  get  on  in  life,  to  grow  rich. 

2  Ranches  (ran'chez) :  farms  at  the  West  for  raising  horses  and  cattle,  or  sheep. 


SINCE    THE    CIVIL    WAR. 


2I9 


beyond  the  Mississippi  hundreds  of  thousands  of  indus 
trious  people  are  moving  from  all  parts  of  the  earth,  and 
are  building  homes  for  themselves  and  for  their  children. 


INDIANS  ATTACKING  A  STAGE 
COACH  IN  THE  FAR  WEST 
FORTY  YEARS  AGO;  BEFORE 
THE  FIRST  PACIFIC  RAIL 
ROAD  WAS  BUILT. 


264.  Celebration  of  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus. 

—  More  than  four  hundred  years  have  gone  by  since  the 
first  civilized  man  crossed  the  ocean  and  found  this  new 
world  which  we  call  America.     We  have  recently  (1893) 
celebrated  that  discovery  made  by  Columbus,  not  only  in 
the  schools  throughout  the  country,  but  by  a  great  fair 

—  called  the  "World's  Columbian  Exposition"  -held  at 
Chicago.     There,  on  the  low  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  on 
what  was  once  a  swamp,  the  people  of  the  West  had  built 
a  great  city.     They  had  built  it,  too,  where  a  United  States 
government  engineer  had  said  that  it  was  simply  impos 
sible  to  do  such  a  thing,  and  in  1893  Chicago  had  more 
than  a  million  of  inhabitants.     Multitudes  of  people  from 
every  state  in  the  Union  visited  the  exposition,  and  many 
came  from  all  parts  of  the  globe  to  join  us. 


22O  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

265.  Our  Hundred  Days'  War  with  Spain.1— A  little  less 
than  five  years  after  the  opening  of  the  Columbian  Exposi 
tion  we  declared  war  against  Spain.     It  was  the  first  time 
we  had  crossed  swords  with  any  nation  of  Europe  since 
General  Jackson  won  the  famous  battle  of  New  Orleans  2 
in  the  War  of  1812  with  Great  Britain. 

When  Major  McKinley  became  President  (1897)  we 
had  no  expectation  of  fighting  Spain.  The  contest  came 
suddenly,  and  Cuba  was  the  cause  of  it.  Spain  once 
owned  not  only  all  the  large  islands  in  the  West  Indies, 
which  Columbus  had  discovered,3  but  held  Mexico  and 
Florida,  and  the  greater  part  of  that  vast  country  west  of 
the  Mississippi,  which  has  now  belonged  to  the  United 
States  for  many  years.  Piece  by  piece  Spain  lost  the 
whole  of  these  enormous  possessions,  until  at  last  she  had 
nothing  left  but  the  two  islands  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico. 

266.  The  rebellion  in  Cuba.  —  Many  of  the  Cubans  hated 
Spanish  rule,  and  with  good  reason.     They  made  several 
attempts  to  rid  themselves  of  it  and  fought  for  ten  years 
(1868-1878),  but  without  success.     Finally,  in  the  spring 
of  1895,  they  took  up  arms  again,  and  with  the  battle  cry 
of  "Independence  or  death!"  they  set  to  work  in  grim 
earnest  to  drive  out  the  Spaniards.     Spain  was  determined 
to  crush  the  rebellion.     She  sent  over  soldiers  by  scores  of 
thousands.     The  desperate  fight  continued  to  go  on  year 
after  year,  until  it  looked  as  though  the  whole  island  — 
which  Columbus  said  was  the  most  beautiful  he  had  ever 
seen  —  would  be  converted  into  a  wilderness  covered  with 
graves  and  ruins.     In  the  course  of  the  war  great  numbers 


1  In  all,  the  war  lasted  from  April  21,  1898,  to  August  12,  1898,  but  Congress  did 
not  formally  declare  war  until  April  25.     The  fighting  covered   one  hundred  and 
seven  days  —  namely  from  May  i  to  August  15. 

2  See  page  171.  3  See  page  9. 


THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  MAINE.         221 

of  peaceful  Cuban  farmers  were  driven  from  their  homes 
and  starved  to  death ;  and  many  Americans  who  had 
bought  sugar  and  tobacco  plantations  saw  all  their  prop 
erty,  worth  from  $30,000,000  to  $50,000,000,  utterly 
destroyed. 

267.  The  destruction  of  the  Maine.  —  Cuba  is  about  the 
size  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  It  is  our  nearest 
island  neighbor  on  the  south,  and  is  almost  in  sight  from 
Key  West,  Florida.  The  people  of  the  United  States 
could  not  look  on  the  war  of  devastation  unmoved. 
While  we  were  sending  ship-loads  of  food  to  feed  the 
starving  Cubans,  it  was  both  natural  and  right  that  we 
should  earnestly  hope  that  the  terrible  struggle  might  be 
speedily  brought  to  an  end. 

Our  Government  first  urged  and  then  demanded  that 
Spain  should  try  to  make  peace  in  the  island.  Spain  did 
try,  tried  honestly  so  far  as  we  can  see,  but  failed.  The 
Cuban  Revolutionists  had  no  faith  in  Spanish  promises ; 
they  positively  refused  to  accept  anything  short  of  sepa 
ration  and  independence.  Spain  was  poor  and  proud  ;  she 
replied  that  come  what  might  she  would  not  give  up  Cuba. 

While  we  were  waiting  to  see  what  should  be  done  a 
terrible  event  happened.  We  had  sent  Captain  Sigsbee 
in  command  of  the  battle-ship  Maine  to  visit  Havana.  In 
the  night  (February  15,  1898),  while  the  Maine  was  lying 
in  that  port  she  was  blown  up.  Out  of  three  hundred  and 
fifty-three  officers  and  men  on  board  the  vessel,  two  hun 
dred  and  sixty-six  were  instantly  killed,  or  were  so  badly 
hurt  that  they  died  soon  after.  We  appointed  a  Court  of 
Inquiry,  composed  of  naval  officers,  to  examine  the  wreck. 
After  a  long  and  careful  investigation  of  all  the  facts, 
they  reported  that  the  Maine  had  been  blown  up  by  a 
mine  planted  in  the  harbor  or  placed  under  her  hull. 


222  THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

Whether  the  mine  was  exploded  by  accident  or  by  design, 
or  who  did  the  fatal  work,  was  more  than  the  Court  could 
say. 

268.  Declaration  of  war  and  the  blockade  of  Cuba.  —  Presi 
dent  McKinley  sent  a  special  message  to  Congress  in  which 
he  said,  "The  war  in  Cuba  must  stop."     Soon  afterward 
Congress  resolved  that  the  people  of  Cuba  "  are,  and  of 
right  ought  to  be,  free  and  independent."     They  also  re 
solved  that  if  Spain  did  not  proceed  at  once  to  withdraw 
her  soldiers  from  the  island,  we  would  take  measures  to 
make  her  do  it.     Spain  refused  to  withdraw  her  army,  and 
war  was  forthwith  declared  by  both  nations. 

The  President  then  sent  Captain  Sampson1  with  a  fleet 
of  war-ships  to  blockade  Havana  and  other  Cuban  ports, 
so  that  the  Spaniards  should  not  get  help  from  Spain  to 
carry  on  the  contest.  He  next  put  Commodore  Schley  in 
command  of  a  "flying  squadron"  of  fast  war-vessels,  so 
that  he  might  stand  ready  to  act  when  called  upon. 

269.  Dewey's  victory  at  Manila.  —  In  the  Pacific  Spain 
owned  the  group  of  islands  called  the  Philippines.2     Many 
of  the  people  of  those  islands  had  long  been  discontented 
with  their  government,  and  when  the  Cubans  rose  in  revolt 
against  Spain  it  stirred  the  inhabitants  of  the  Philippines 
to  begin  a  struggle  for  liberty.     They,  too,  were  fighting 
for  independence. 

President  McKinley  resolved  to  strike  two  blows  at 
once,  and  while  we  hit  Spain  in  Cuba,  hit  her  at  the  same 
time  at  Manila,  the  capital  of  the  Philippines.  It  hap 
pened,  fortunately  for  us,  that  Commodore  Dewey3  had  a 


1  Capt.  William  T.  Sampson,  who  has  since  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Rear- 
Admiral,  and  so,  too,  has  Commodore  Winfield  Scott  Schley. 

2  Philippine  Islands;  see  the  Map  of  the  World  on  page  222. 
8  Commodore  George  Dewey  —  now  Rear- Admiral  Dewey. 


T- 


*- 


>J> 


•m  i  j3N 

*fntr^r 


i  ° 

•s. 

iu 

-a 


DEWEY  S    VICTORY    AT    MANILA. 


223 


fleet  of  six  war-ships  at  Hong  Kong,  China.  The  Presi 
dent  telegraphed  to  him  to  start  at  once  for  Manila  and 
"capture  or  destroy"  the  Spanish  fleet  which  guarded 
that  important  port.  The  Spaniards  at  that  place  were 
brave  men  who  were  determined  to  hold  Manila  against 
all  attack  ;  they  had  forts  to  help  them  ;  they  had  twice 


BATTLE-SHIP. 

as  many  vessels  as  Commodore  Dewey  had  ;  on  the  other 
hand,  our  vessels  were  larger  and  better  armed ;  best  of 
all,  our  men  could  fire  straight,  which  was  more  than  the 
Spaniards  knew  how  to  do. 

Commodore  Dewey  carried  out  his  orders  to  the  letter. 
On  the  first  day  of  May  (1898)  he  sent  a  despatch  to  the 
President,  saying  that  he  had  just  fought  a  battle  and  had 
knocked  every  Spanish  warship  to  pieces  without  losing 
a  single  man  in  the  fight.  The  victorious  Americans 
took  good  care  of  the  wounded  Spaniards. 


224  THE    BEGINNER'S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 

The  President  at  once  sent  General  Merritt  from  San 
Francisco  with  a  large  number  of  soldiers  to  join  Commo 
dore  Dewey.  Congress  voted  the  "  Hero  of  Manila"  a 
sword  of  honor,  and  the  President,  with  the  consent  of 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  made  him  Rear-Admiral, 
thus  giving  him  the  highest  rank  to  which  he  could  be 
promoted  in  the  navy. 

270,  Cervera  "  bottled  up  ";  Hobson's  brave  deed. —  Spain 
had  lost  one  fleet,  but  she  still  had  another  and  a  far  more 
powerful  one  under  the  command  of  Admiral  Cervera.1 
Where  Cervera  was  we  did  not  know  —  for  anything  we 
could  tell  he  might  be  coming  across  the  Atlantic  to 
suddenly  attack  New  York  or  Boston  or  some  other  of 
our  cities  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  President  sent 
Commodore  Schley  with  his  "  flying  squadron  "  to  find  the 
Spanish  fleet.  After  a  long  and  anxious  search  the  Com 
modore  discovered  that  the  Spanish  warships  had  secretly 
run  into  the  harbor  of  Santiago  on  the  southeastern  coast 
of  Cuba. 

A  day  or  two  afterward  Captain  Sampson  with  a  num 
ber  of  war-vessels  went  to  Santiago  and  took  command 
of  our  combined  fleet  in  front  of  that  port.  One  of 
Captain  Sampson's  vessels  was  the  famous  battle-ship 
Oregon,  which  had  come  from  San  Francisco  round  South 
America,  a  voyage  of  about  thirteen  thousand  miles,  in 
order  to  take  a  hand  in  the  coming  fight. 

The  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Santiago  is  by  a  long, 
narrow,  crooked  channel  guarded  by  forts.  We  could  not 
enter  it  without  great  risk  of  losing  our  ships.  It  was 
plain  enough  that  we  had  " bottled  up"  Cervera's  fleet, 
and  so  long  as  he  remained  there  he  could  do  us  no  harm. 

1  Cervera  :  English  pronunciation  Sur-yee'rah. 


ROOSEVELT  S   "  ROUGH    RIDERS.  225 

But  there  was  a  chance,  in  spite  of  our  watching  the 
entrance  to  the  harbor  as  a  cat  watches  a  mouse-hole,  that 
the  Spanish  commander  might,  after  all,  slip  out  of  his 
hiding  place  and  under  cover  of  darkness  or  fog  escape 
our  guns. 

Lieutenant  Hobson  thought  he  saw  a  way  by  which 
he  could  effectually  cork  the  bottle  and  make  Cervera's 
escape  impossible.  By  permission  of  Captain  Sampson 
he  proceeded  to  carry  out  his  daring  scheme.  With  the 
help  of  seven  sailors,  who  were  eager  to  go  with  him  at  the 
risk  of  almost  certain  death,  Hobson  ran  the  coal  ship  Mer- 
rimac  into  the  narrow  channel,  and  by  exploding  torpedoes 
sank  the  vessel  across  it.  Then  he  and  his  men  jumped 
into  the  water  to  save  themselves  as  best  they  could.  It 
was  one  of  the  bravest  deeds  ever  done  in  war  and  will 
never  be  forgotten.  The  Spaniards  captured  Hobson  and 
his  men,  but  they  treated  them  well,  and  after  a  time  sent 
all  of  them  back  to  us  in  exchange  for  Spanish  prisoners 
of  war. 

271.  Fighting  near  Santiago  ;  Roosevelt's  "  Rough  Riders  "; 
Cervera  caught.  —  A  few  weeks  later  General  Shafter 
landed  a  large  number  of  American  soldiers  on  the  coast 
of  Cuba  near  Santiago.  The  force  included  General 
Wheeler's  cavalry,  and  among  them  were  Colonel  Roose 
velt's  "  Rough  Riders."  A  good  many  of  these  "Rough 
Riders"  had  been  Western  "cowboys,"  and  on  horse 
back  or  on  foot  they  were  a  match  for  anything,  whether 
man  or  beast. 

The  Americans  at  once  set  out  to  find  the  enemy.  The 
Spaniards  had  hidden  in  the  underbrush,  where  they  could 
fire  on  us  without  being  seen.  They  opened  the  battle, 
and  as  they  used  smokeless  powder  it  was  difficult  for  our 
men  to  tell  where  the  rifle  balls  came  from,  or  how  to 


226 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


reply  to  them.  But  in  the  end,  after  pretty  sharp  fight 
ing,  we  got  possession  of  some  high  ground  from  which 
we  could  plainly  see  Santiago,  where  Cervera's  fleet  lay 
concealed  behind  the  hills. 

A  week  later  our  soldiers  stormed  up  the  steep  heights,1 
drove  the  Spaniards    pellmell   into   Santiago  and   forced 


LAND  ATTACK. 

them  to  take  refuge  behind  the  earthworks  which  pro 
tected  the  town. 

Meanwhile  Captain  Sampson  had  gone  to  consult  with 
General  Shafter,  and  had  left  Commodore  Schley  in  com 
mand  of  the  fleet,  with  orders  what  to  do  in  case  Cervera 
attempted  to  escape. 

On  Sunday  morning,  July  3  (1898),  a  great  shout  was 
sent  up  from  the  flagship  Brooklyn,  and  another  from 
Captain  Evans'  ship,  the  Iowa:  "The  Spaniards  are  com- 


1  Of  El  Caney  and  San  Juan,  suburbs  of  Santiago. 


THE    END    OF    THE    WAR.  22? 

ing  out  of  the  harbor!"  It  was  true,  for  the  sunken 
Merrimac  had  only  half  corked  the  bottle  after  all,  and 
Cervera  was  making  a  dash  out,  hoping  to  reach  the  broad 
Atlantic  before  we  could  hit  him. 

Then  all  was  excitement.  "  Open  fire  ! "  shouted 
Schley.  We  did  open  fire.  The  Spanish  Admiral  was  a 
brave  man ;  he  did  the  best  he  could  with  his  guns  to 
answer  us,  but  it  was  of  no  use,  and  in  less  than  three 
hours  all  of  the  enemy's  fleet  were  helpless,  blazing  wrecks. 
Cervera  himself  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  He  was  res 
cued  by  the  crew  of  the  Gloucester ;  as  he  came  on  board 
that  ship,  Commander  Wainwright  said  to  him,  "  I  con 
gratulate  you,  sir,  on  having  made  a  most  gallant  fight." 
When  not  long  afterward  one  of  our  cruisers  reached 
Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  with  Cervera  and  more  than 
seven  hundred  other  prisoners  of  war  taken  in  the  battle, 
the  people  sent  up  cheer  after  cheer  for  the  Spanish 
Admiral  who  had  treated  Lieutenant  Hobson  and  his  men 
so  handsomely. 

272.  The  end  of  the  war  —  what  the  "Red  Cross  Society" 
did.  —  Soon  after  this  crushing  defeat  the  Spaniards  sur 
rendered  Santiago.  Next  Porto  Rico  surrendered  to 
General  Miles.  By  that  time  Spain  had  given  up  the 
struggle  and  begged  for  peace.  An  agreement  for  mak 
ing  a  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Washington  (August 
12,  1898).  Our  Government  at  once  sent  a  despatch  to 
our  forces  at  the  Philippines  ordering  them  to  stop  fighting. 
Before  the  despatch  could  get  there,  Rear-Admiral  Dewey 
and  General  Merritt  had  taken  Manila. 

The  war  was  not  without  its  bright  side.  That  was 
the  noble  work  done  by  the  "  American  Red  Cross 
Society,"  under  Clara  Barton.  They  labored  on  battle 
fields  and  in  hospitals  to  help  the  wounded  and  the  sick  of 


228 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


both  armies,  and  to  soothe  the  last  moments  of  the  dying. 
Many  a  poor  fellow  who  was  called  to  lay  down  his  life  for 
the  American  cause,  and  many  another  who  fell  fighting 
for  Spain,  blessed  the  kind  hands  that  did  everything  that 

human  power 
could  do  to  re 
lieve  their  suf 
fering.  For  the 
"Red  Cross" 
helpers  and 
nurses  treated  all 
alike.  They  did 
not  ask  under 
what  flag  a  man 
served  or  what 
"THE  RED  CROSS."  language  he 

spoke  —  it    was 

enough  for  them  to  know  that  he  needed  their  aid.  So, 
too,  it  is  pleasant  to  find  that  the  Spanish  prisoners  of 
war  were  so  well  treated  by  our  people  that  when  they 
sailed  for  Spain  they  hurrahed  for  America  and  the 
Americans  with  all  their  might. 

While  the  war  was  going  on  we  peacefully  annexed  the 
Republic  of  Hawaii,1  or  the  Sandwich  Islands  (July  7, 
1898).  Before  the  end  of  the  contest  with  Spain  our  flag 
waved  above  those  islands,  as  a  sign  that  they  had  become 
part  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States.  Later,  it  floated, 
as  a  sign  of  conquest,  over  Porto  Rico,  Manila,  the  capital 
of  the  Philippines,  and  Guam,  the  principal  island  of  the 
Ladrones.  On  New  Year's  Day  1899  the  Spanish  colors 
were  hauled  down  at  Havana,  and  the  stars  and  stripes 
took  their  place.  They  float  as  a  sign  of  guardianship  and 

1  Hawaii :  pronounced  Hah-wy'ee.     See  page  196,  and  the  Map  of  the  World. 


THE    END    OF    THE    WAR.  22Q 

protection  over  the  castle,  and  over  the  ancient  palace  of 
the  capital  of  Cuba. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Havana  is  the  city  in  which 
Columbus  was  believed  to  be  buried.1  By  order  of  the 
Queen  of  Spain,  his  remains  were  sent  back,  after  the 
war  (December  12,  1898)  to  the  city  of  Valladolid,2  his 
old  home,  in  Spain.  To-day  the  Spaniards  have  nothing 
left  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  which  they  can  call  their 
own  —  not  even  the  corpse  of  the  great  navigator  who  dis 
covered  the  New  World,  unless  by  chance  his  body  still 
rests  in  the  old  church  in  San  Domingo.3 

Many  of  our  people  wish  to  keep  all  of  the  islands  we 
have  conquered  from  Spain.  They  believe  that  by  so  doing 
we  shall  open  new  markets  for  our  goods  in  the  East,  and 
in  China ;  and  that  by  having  possessions  in  various  parts 
of  the  globe  we  shall  make  the  United  States  a  great 
"world-power"  —the  greatest,  perhaps,  that  has  ever 
existed  in  history. 

Many  other  Americans,  who  are  equally  patriotic  and 
equally  proud  of  their  country,  believe  that  it  would  be  a 
mistake  for  us  to  keep  these  islands.  They  say  that  such 
distant  possessions  would  make  us  weaker  instead  of 
stronger ;  that  they  would  be  likely  to  get  us  into  quar 
rels  with  other  nations,  and  that  in  the  end  we  should 
have  to  spend  enormous  sums  of  the  people's  money  in 
building  more  war-ships  and  fitting  out  new  armies. 

Time  tests  all  things  and  all  men.  Time  will  not  fail 
to  show  which  of  these  two  parties  is  right.  That 
decision  will  add  another  chapter  to  the  history  of  our 
country.  Let  us  hope  it  will  be  a  chapter  that  both  you 
and  I  shall  be  glad  to  read. 

1  See  account  of  the  burial  of  Columbus  on  page  12.    3  San  Domingo  :  see  page  12. 

2  Valladolid  (Val-ya-do-leed'),  Columbus  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  there. 


230 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


273.  The  unfinished  pyramid ;  making  history.  —  On  one 
of  the  two  great  seals  l  of  the  United  States  a  pyramid  is 
represented  partly  finished.  That  pyramid  stands  for  our 
country.  It  shows  how  much  has  been  done  and  how 


FIRST  GREAT  SEAL  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES. 


SECOND  GREAT  SEAL  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES. 


much  still  remains  to  be  done.  The  men  whose  lives  we 
have  read  in  this  little  book  were  all  builders.  By  patient 
and  determined  labor  they  added  stone  to  stone,  and  so 
the  good  work  grew.  Now  they  have  gone,  and  it  is  for 


1  Seals :  the  first  great  seal,  having  the  eagle  and  the  Latin  motto  "  E  Pluribus 
Unum"  meaning  " Many  in  One"  —  or  one  nation  made  up  of  many  states,  —  was 
adopted  June  20,  1782.  The  spread  eagle  signifies  strength;  the  thirteen  stars 
above  his  head,  and  the  thirteen  stripes  on  the  shield  on  his  breast,  represent  the 
thirteen  original  states ;  the  olive  branch,  held  in  the  eagle's  right  talon,  shows  that 
America  seeks  peace,  while  the  bundle  of  arrows  in  his  left  talon  shows  that  we  are 
prepared  for  war.  This  seal  is  used  in  stamping  agreements  or  treaties  made  by  the 
United  States  with  other  nations,  and  also  for  other  important  papers. 

The  second  great  seal,  adopted  at  the  same  time,  was  never  used.  It  was  in 
tended  for  stamping  the  wax  on  a  ribbon  attached  to  a  treaty  or  other  important 
paper,  thus  making  a  hanging  seal.  The  Latin  motto  "  Annuit  Coeptis"  above  the 
all-seeing  eye  looking  down  with  favor  on  the  unfinished  pyramid,  means  "  God  has 
favored  the  Work."  The  date  MDCCLXXVI,  or  1776,  marks  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  The  Latin  motto  at  the  bottom,  " Novus  Ordo  Sedorum"  means 
"  A  New  Order  of  Ages  "  —  or  a  new  order  of  things,  such  as  we  have  in  this  New 
World  of  America. 


THE    END    OF    THE    WAR.  23! 

us  to  do  our  part  and  make  sure  that  the  pyramid,  as  it 
rises,  shall  continue  to  stand  square,  and  strong,  and  true. 

What  is  said  about  the  North  and  the  South  since  the  war?  Tell  about  the 
growth  of  the  South.  What  is  said  about  the  West  ?  What  about  railroads  ?  What 
about  people  going  west  ? 

How  long  is  it  since  Columbus  discovered  America?  What  is  said  about  the  cele 
bration  of  that  discovery  ?  What  is  said  about  the  possessions  which  Spain  once  had 
in  North  America  ?  What  of  the  rebellion  in  Cuba  ?  What  about  the  destruction  of 
the  Maine  ?  What  did  the  United  States  do  ?  Give  an  account  of  Commodore  Dewey's 
victory.  What  is  said  of  Cervera's  fleet  ?  What  did  Hobson  do  ?  What  is  said 
about  the  fighting  near  Santiago?  Who  were  the  "  Rough  Riders"?  What  happened 
to  Cervera's  fleet  ?  When  did  the  end  of  the  war  come  ?  What  is  said  of  the  "  Red 
Cross"?  What  of  Hawaii?  Over  what  islands  does  our  flag  now  wave?  What  is 
said  about  the  remains  of  Columbus  ?  What  do  people  think  in  regard  to  keep 
ing  all  of  the  islands  now  under  our  control  ?  What  is  said  about  one  of  the  great 
seals  of  the  United  States?  What  does  the  unfinished  pyramid  stand  for?  What 
does  it  show  us  ?  What  is  said  of  the  men  whose  lives  we  have  read  in  this  book  ?  Is 
anything  left  for  us  to  do  ? 


A    SHORT    LIST    OF    BOOKS    OF    REFERENCE. 

(For  the   Use  of  Teachers.) 


This  brief  list  is  arranged  alphabetically.  It  consists,  with  a  few  exceptions,  of  small, 
one-volume  biographies;  all  of  which  are  believed  to  be  of  acknowledged  merit. 

A  much  fuller  reference  list  will  be  found  in  the  appendix  to  the  author's  larger  work, 
entitled  The  Leading'  facts  of  American  History. 


Balboa :   Irving's  Companions  of  Columbus,  and  Winsor's  America,  Vol.  II. 

Baltimore,  Lord:  William  H.  Browne's  Lords  Baltimore;  3  G.  W.  Burnap's 
Baltimore.1 

Boone,  Daniel:  C.  B.  Hartley's  Boone  (including  Boone's  autobiography); 
J.  M.  Peck's  Boone;  x  and  see  the  excellent  sketch  of  Boone's  life  in  Theo 
dore  Roosevelt's  The  Winning  of  the  West,  Vol.  I. 

Cabot  (John  and  Sebastian)  :  J.  F.  Nicholls's  Cabot;  C.  Hay  ward's  Cabot.1 

Clark,  George  Rogers :  see  Theodore  Roosevelt's  The  Winning  of  the  West, 
Vol.  II. 

Columbus:  Irving's  Columbus,  abridged  edition;  Charles  K.  Adams's  Co 
lumbus;  3  Edward  Everett  Hale's  Columbus. 

De  Leon :  Irving's  Companions  of  Columbus,  and  Winsor's  America,  Vol.  II. 

De  Soto  :  see  Winsor's  America,  Vol.  II. 

Franklin,  Benjamin :  D.  H.  Montgomery's  Franklin  (autobiography  and 
continuation  of  life) ;  2  John  T.  Morse's  Franklin.7 

Fulton,  Robert:  J.  Renwick's  Fulton;1  R.  H.  Thurston's  Fulton;8  Thos. 
W.  Knox's  Fulton.4 

Gray,  Robert :  see  H.  H.  Bancroft's  Pacific  States,  Vol.  XXII. 

Harrison,  William  Henry:  H.  Montgomery's  Harrison;  S.  J.  Burr's  Har 
rison. 

Houston,  Sam:  Henry  Bruce's  Houston;  8  C.  E.  Lester's  Houston. 

Hudson,  Henry :  H.  R.  Cleveland's  Hudson.1 

Jackson,  Andrew:  James  Parton's  Jackson;  W.  G.  Sumner's  Jackson.7 

Jefferson,  Thomas:  James  Schouler's  Jefferson;3  John  T.  Morse,  Jr.'s  Jef 
ferson.7 

Lincoln,  Abraham:  Carl  Schurz's  Lincoln;  Isaac  N.  Arnold's  Lincoln; 
Noah  Brooks's  Lincoln;4  J.  G.  Holland's  Lincoln;  F.  B.  Carpenter's  Six 
Months  at  the  White  House  with  Lincoln. 

Morse,  Samuel  F.  B. :  S.  I.  Prime's  Morse;  Denslow  and  Parke's  Morse 
(Cassell). 

i 


11  A    SHORT    LIST    OF    BOOKS. 

Oglethorpe,  James   Edward:    Bruce's   Oglethorpe;  3   W.  B.  O.  Peabody's 

Oglethorpe.1 
Penn,  William:  G.  E.  Ellis's  Perm;  l  W.  H.  Dixon's  Perm;  J.  Stoughton's 

Penn. 
Philip,    King:     H.  M.  Dexter's  edition  of  Church's  King  Philip's  War   (2 

vols.) ;    Richard  Markham's  King  Philip's  War. 

NOTE.  — The  story  of  Colonel  Goffe's  appearance  at  Hadley  during  the  Indian  attack  on 
that  town  rests  on  tradition.  Some  authorities  reject  it;  but  Bryant  and  Gay  say  (History 
of  the  United  States,  II.,  410) :  "  There  is  no  reason  for  doubting  its  essential  truth." 

Putnam,  Rufus :  see   H.  B.  Carrington's  Battles  of  the   Revolution,  Rufus 

King's  History  of  Ohio,  and  Bancroft's  United  States. 
Raleigh,   Walter:    L.  Creighton's   Raleigh;     E.    Gosse's   Raleigh;    W.  M. 

Towle's  Raleigh.8 
Robertson,  James :    see  Theodore  Roosevelt's  The  Winning   of  the  West, 

Vol.  I. 

Sevier  John :  see  Theodore  Roosevelt's  The  Winning  of  the  West,  Vol.  I. 
Smith,  John:  G.  S.  Hillard's  Captain  John  Smith;  l  C.  D.  Warner's  Smith.6 

NOTE.  —  The  truth  of  the  story  of  Pocahontas  has  been  denied  by  Mr.  Charles  Deane 
and  some  other  recent  writers;  but  it  appears  never  to  have  been  questioned  until  Mr.  Deane 
attacked  it  in  1866  in  his  notes  to  his  reprint  of  Captain  John  Smith's  True  Relation  or 
Neivesfrom  Virginia.  Professor  Edward  Arber  discusses  the  question  in  his  Introduction 
(pp.  cxv.-cxviii.)  to  his  excellent  edition  of  Smith's  writings.  He  says,  "  To  deny  the  truth 
of  this  Pocahontas  incident  is  to  create  more  difficulties  than  are  involved  in  its  accept 
ance."  See,  too,  his  sketch  of  the  life  of  Captain  Smith  in  the  Encyclopedia  Britannica. 

Standish,   Myles:    see  J.  A.   Goodwin's   Pilgrim   Republic,  and  Alexander 

Young's  Chronicles  of  the  Pilgrims. 

Sutter,  John  A. :  see  H.  H.  Bancroft's  Pacific  States,  Vol.  XVIII. 
Washington,  George :  John  Fiske's  Irving's  Washington  and  his  Country  ;  2 

E.  E.  Hale's  Washington;  4  Horace  E.  Scudder's  Washington.5 
Whitney,  Eli :  Denison  Olmsted's  Whitney. 

Williams,  Roger:  W.  R.  Gammell's  Williams;  *  H.  M.  Dexter's  Williams 
Winthrop,  John  :  Joseph  H.  Twichell's  Winthrop.8 

1  In  Sparks's  Library  of  American  Biography  :  Little,  Brown  &  Co.,  Boston. 

2  In  Classics  for  Children  Series  :  Ginn  &  Co.,  Boston. 

s  In  Makers  of  America  Series  :  Dodd,  Mead  &  Co.,  New  York. 

*  In  Boys  and  Girls'  Library  of  American  Biography  :  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  New 
York. 

6  In  the  Riverside  Library  for  Young  People  :  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston. 
«  In  Lives  of  American  Worthies  :  Henry  Holt  &  Co.,  New  York. 

7  In  The  American  Statesmen  Series  :  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston. 

8  In  The  Heroes  of  History  Series  ;  Lee  &  Shepard,  Boston. 


INDEX. 


(With  pronunciation  of  difficult   words.) 
The  numbers  refer  to  pages. 


Admiral  (Ad'mi-ral)  (note),  5. 
Alamance  (Al'a-mance),  battle  of,  122. 
Alamo  (Al'a-mo),  battle  of,  183. 
Alaska  purchased,  195. 
America,  Northmen  discover  (note),  14. 

Columbus  discovers,  8. 

Cabot's  voyage  to,  13. 

name  of,  given,  16. 

Spaniards  settle  in,  19. 

English  settle  in,  21,  23. 

independence  of,  declared,  106. 

See  United  States. 
Americans,  name  of,  102. 
Amerigo  (A-ma-ree'go),  see  Vespucci,  16. 
Apprentice  (note),  81. 
Armstrong,  Jack,  205,  207. 

murder  trial,  207. 
Arnold,  Benedict,  no. 
Atlantic  called  the  "  Sea  of  Darkness,"  5. 

crossed  by  the  Northmen  (note),  14. 

crossed  by  Columbus,  5. 
Augustine,  St.  (Aw'gus-teen'),  founded,  19. 

Bacon's  war  in  Virginia,  30. 

Balboa  (Bal-bo'ah)  discovers  the  Pacific,  18. 

Baltimore  founded,  54. 

in  the  Revolution,  54. 
Biltimore,  Lord,  in  Newfoundland,  50. 

Maryland  granted  to,  51. 

power  of,  52. 

son  of,  settles  Maryland,  52. 

grants  religious  liberty  in  Maryland,  53, 54. 

is  persecuted,  54. 

summary  of,  54. 
Battle,  playing  at,  166. 
Battle  of  Alamance  (Al'a-mance),  122. 

Alamo  (Al'a-mo),  183. 

Bunker  Hill,  103.      • 

Camden,  168. 


Battle  of  Concord,  102. 

Cowpens,  109,  167. 

Fort  Moultrie,  109. 

Lexington,  102. 

Long  Island,  106. 

New  Orleans,  171. 

Princeton,  108. 

Saratoga,  108. 

Tippecanoe,  159. 

Trenton,  107. 

Vincennes  (Vin-senz1),  131. 

Yorktown,  no. 
Battles  of  the  Civil  War,  214,  215. 

with  Indians,  see  Indians  and  War. 
Bees,  the,  and  the  "  Red-Coats,"  166. 
Berkeley,  governor  of  Virginia,  30. 
Black  Hawk  War,  206. 
"  Blazing"  trees,  77. 
Boone,  Daniel,  birth  and  boyhood  of,  116. 

how  he  could  handle  a  gun,  117. 

his  bear  tree,  117. 

goes  to  Kentucky,  117. 

makes  the  "  Wilderness  Road,"  118. 

builds  a  fort,  119. 

his  daughter  stolen  by  Indians,  119. 

he  is  captured  and  adopted  by  Indians,  120. 

his  escape,  120. 

how  he  used  tobacco  dust,  121. 

his  old  age,  121. 

goes  to  Missouri,  121. 

Kentucky  helps  him,  122. 

grave  of,  122. 

summary  of,  122. 
Boston  founded,  48. 

name  of,  49. 

"Tea  Party,"  101. 

port  of,  closed,  101. 

British  driven  from,  105,  133. 
Bowie  (Bow'e),  Colonel,  184. 


IV 


THE  BEGINNER'S  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


Braddock's  defeat,  98. 

Bradford,  William,  caught  in  trap,  42. 

Bradford,  Governor,  42. 

and  Canonicus,  45. 
Brewster,  Elder,  43. 
British,  the  name,  102. 
Brookfield  burnt  by  Indians,  63. 
"  Brother  Jonathan,"  196. 

origin  of  name  (note),  196. 
Brush  (note),  199. 

Cabot  (Cab'ot),  John  and  Sebastian,  13. 

discover  continent  of  America,  13. 

take  possession  of,  for  England,  14. 

return  to  Bristol,  15. 

what  they  carried  back,  15. 

second  voyage  of,  15. 

how  much  of  America  they  discovered,  16. 

summary  of,  17. 
California,  Captain  Sutler  in,  189. 

gold  discovered  in,  190. 

effects  of  discovery  of  gold,  194. 

acquisition  of,  193. 

emigration  to,  194. 
Camden,  battle  of,  168. 
Canal,  Erie,  opened,  175. 
Candidate  (note),  210. 

Canonchet  (Ka-non'chet)  braves  death,  66. 
Canonicus  (Ka-non'i-kus)  sends  challenge  to 
Bradford,  45. 

and  Roger  Williams,  58,  59. 
Cape  Cod,  arrival  of  Pilgrims  at,  41. 

explored  by  Pilgrims,  42. 
Capitol,  the,  burned,  161. 

rebuilt,  161. 
Carolina,  North,  Governor  Tryon  in,  122. 

battle  of  Alamance  in,  122. 

the  Revolution  in,  165. 

South,  see  Charleston. 
Carver  chosen  governor,  41. 

his  kindness  to  the  sick,  43. 

makes  treaty  with  Massasoit,  44. 
Catholics  cruelly  treated  in  England,  50. 

colony  of,  in  Newfoundland,  50. 

colony  of,  in  Maryland,  51. 

give    equal    religious    rights    to    Protes 
tants,  52,  54. 

persecuted  in  Maryland,  54. 

first  English  Church  of,  in  America,  53. 
Charles  II.  and  Penn,  68,  70. 
Charleston  helps  Georgia,  77. 

in  the  Revolution,  109. 

secedes,  211 . 

begins  the  Civil  War,  211. 
Chicago,  Columbian  Exposition  at,  220. 
Church,  Captain  Benjamin,  65. 


Church,  the  first  English  Protestant,  in  Amer 
ica,  25. 

first  English  Catholic,  in  America,  53. 
Civil  War,  the,  211-216. 

causes  of  the,  211-214. 

battles  of  the,  214,  215. 

Grant  and  Lee  in  the,  215. 

Lincoln  in  the,  214,  215. 

result  of  the,  215. 
Clark,  George  Rogers,  birth  of  (note),  127. 

expedition  against  Fort  Kaskaskia,  127. 

march  against,  127. 

takes  the  fort,  128. 

is  helped  by  a  Catholic  priest,  128. 

gets  Fort  Vincennes,  129. 

loses  the  fort,  129. 

Vigo  offers  help  to,  129. 

marches  against  Fort  Vincennes,  129. 

in  the  "  Drowned  Lands,"  129. 

wading  to  victory,  130. 

takes  Fort  Vincennes,  131. 

results  of  the  victory,  131. 

grave  of,  131. 

summary  of,  131. 
Clearing  (note),  204. 

Coloma  (Ko-lo  ma),  gold  discovered  at,  190. 
Colonel  (kur'nel)  (note),  64. 
Colonies,  the  thirteen  (note),  75. 
Colony  (note),  49. 
Columbian  Exposition,  the,  220. 
Columbus,  birth  and  boyhood  of,  i. 

becomes  a  sailor,  2. 

has  a  sea-fight,  2. 

goes  to  Lisbon,  2. 

his  maps  of  the  world,  3. 

plan  for  reaching  Indies,  3. 

goes  to  Spain  for  help,  5. 

his  reception  at  the  convent,  4. 

leaves  his  son  at  the  convent,  4. 

gets  help  for  his  voyage,  5. 

sails  from  Palos,  5. 

voyage  of,  6,  7. 

discovers  land,  8. 

names  it,  8. 

discovers  large  islands,  9. 

returns  to  Spam,  10. 

his  reception  in  Spain,  10. 

last  voyages  of,  n. 

his  sorrowful  old  age,  n. 

sent  back  to  Spain  in  chains,  n. 

his  letter  to  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  12. 

death  and  burial,  12. 

summary  of,  12. 

celebration  of  his  discovery  of  America, 

220. 
Compass,  Smith's  use  of  the,  26. 


INDEX. 


Compass,  Roger  Williams',  57. 

Washington's  use  of,  98. 
Concord,  battle  of,  102. 
Congress,  meeting  of  the  first,  73,  102. 

makes   Washington    commander-in-chief, 
104. 

declares  independence,  73,  106. 

meaning  of  word  (note),  102,  180. 

votes  money  for  first  telegraph  lines,  180- 
Convent  of  St.  Mary  at  Palos,  4. 
Convent  (note),  4. 

Cornwallis,    Lord,   in    the    Revolution,    106- 
112. 

his  pursuit  of  Washington,  106. 

and  Arnold,  no. 

surrender  of,  112. 
Cotton,  how  it  grows,  139. 

seeds  of,  139. 

price  of,  141. 

effect  of  cotton-gin  on,  141. 

export  of,  142,  143. 

size  of  bales  (note),  143. 
Cotton-gin,  invention  of,  140. 

effect  of  the,  141. 
Cowpens,  battle  of,  109,  167. 
Crockett,  David,  motto  of,  184. 

Declaration  of  Independence  made,  73,  106. 

written  by  Jefferson,  146. 

Franklin  has  part  in,  90. 

sent  throughout  the  country,  146. 
De  Leon,  pronunciation  of  name  (note),  17. 

discovers  Florida,  17. 
De  Soto,  pronunciation  of  name  (note),  17. 

discovers  the  Mississippi,  18. 
Detroit,  Fort,  126. 
Discovery,  right  of  (note),  188. 
"  Drowned  Lands,"  the,"  129. 

Earthquake,  great,  of  1811,  155. 
Ebenezer  (Eb-e-ne'zer),  settlement  of,  77. 

name  of,  78. 

Electricity,  Franklin's  experiments  in,  87-89. 
Eliot,  Rev.  John,  62. 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  names  Virginia,  20. 
Ellsworth,  Miss  Annie,  180. 
Elm,  the  treaty,  at  Philadelphia,  71. 

the  Washington,  at  Cambridge,  104. 
Emigrants  (note),  21. 
Experiments  (note),  87. 
Explorer  (note),  2. 

Fable  of  the  Frog  (note),  201. 
Fairfax  estate,  94. 

Lord,  and  Washington,  94. 

his  land,  95. 


Fairfax  hires  Washington  to  survey,  95. 

death  of,  113. 
Father  Gibault  (Zhe-bo'),  128. 

White,  53,  54. 

Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  5,  10. 
Flag,  first  American,  104. 

the  British  (note),  m. 

torn  down  at  New  York,  113. 

U.  S.,  origin  of  (note),  in. 

carried  round  the  world,  187. 

"  Star  Spangled  Banner"  (note),  141 

of  Texas,  184. 

Jasper  saves  the,  109. 
Flint  and  steel,  57. 
Florida,  discovery  of,  17. 

name  of  (note),  18. 

settlement  of,  19. 

Indian  war  in,  172. 

purchase  of,  19,  172. 
Fort,  Boone's,  118. 

Detroit,  126. 

Indian,  65. 

Jamestown,  24. 

Kaskaskia,  126-128. 

Manhattan,  38. 

McHenry  (note),  141. 

Moultrie,  109. 

Necessity,  98. 

Plymouth,  46. 

St.  Augustine,  19. 

Sutler's,  189. 

Vincennes,  126-129. 
Fortifications  on  Dorchester  Heights,  132. 

at  New  Orleans,  171. 
Forts,  British,  at  the  West,  126. 

French,  at  the  West,  97. 
Founds  (note),  48. 
Fountain,  the  magic,  17. 
Franklin,  Benjamin,  boyhood  of,  81. 

works  for  his  father,  82. 

is  apprenticed  to  his  brother,  82. 

boards  himself,  82. 

is  badly  treated,  82. 

runs  away,  82. 

his  walk  across  New  Jersey,  83. 

lands  in  Philadelphia,  83. 

buys  some  rolls,  83. 

sees  Miss  Read,  83. 

goes  to  a  Quaker  meeting,  84. 

gets  work  in  a  printing-office,  84. 

goes  to  Boston  on  a  visit,  84. 

learns  to  stoop,  84. 

returns  to  Philadelphia,  85. 

goes  to  London,  85. 

called  the  "  Water  American,"  85. 

returns  to  Philadelphia,  86. 


VI 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Franklin,  Benjamin,  sets  up  a  newspaper,  81,86. 

his  "  sawdust  pudding,"  86. 

his  almanac,  81. 

his  sayings,  81. 

his  plan  of  life,  87. 

what  he  did  for  Philadelphia,  80,  87. 

experiments  with  electricity,  87. 

his  electrical  picture,  88. 

his  electrical  kite,  88. 

his  discoveries  in  electricity,  89. 

invents  the  lightning-rod,  89. 

receives  title  of  Doctor,  89. 

services  in  the  Revolution,  90. 

thinks  we  must  fight  with  bows  and  ar 
rows,  105. 

gets  help  for  us  from  France,  90. 

his  funeral,  90. 

counties  named  for  him,  90. 

summary  of,  91. 
Friends  (or  Quakers),  religion  of,  69. 

persecuted  in  England,  69. 

go  to  Pennsylvania,  69. 

friendly  relations  with  the  Indians,  72. 

See  William  Penn. 
Fulton,  Robert,  birth  and  boyhood  of,  151. 

his  paddle-wheel  scow,  151. 

care  of  his  mother,  152. 

goes  to  England  and  France,  152. 

builds  iron  bridges,  152. 

his  diving-boat,  152. 

torpedo  experiments  in  France,  152. 

torpedo  experiments  in  England,  153. 

England's  offer  of  money,  153. 

his  reply,  153. 

builds  his  first  steamboat,  153. 

returns  to  America,  154. 

builds  steamboat  here,  154. 

trip  up  the  Hudson,  154. 

builds  steamboat  for  the  West,  155. 

what  he  did  for  Western  emigration,  156. 

his  grave,  156. 

summary  of,  156. 

Gadsden  Purchase,  the,  194. 
Gage,  General,  in  Boston,  102,  103. 

his  nose,  105. 

leaves  Boston,  105. 
Genoa  (Jen'o-ah)  (note),  i. 
George  II.  and  Georgia,  75. 
George  III.,  resolves  to  tax  Americans,  100. 

sends  over  taxed  tea,  100. 

closes  port  of  Boston,  101. 

hires  German  soldiers,  103. 

his  statue  pulled  down,  106. 

his  character,  127. 
Georgia,  name  of,  75. 


Georgia,  settlement  of,  75. 

Savannah,  76. 

Ebenezer,  77. 

silk  raised  in,  78. 

keeps  out  Spaniards,  78. 

in  the  Revolution,  78,  79. 

summary  of,  79. 
Gibault  (Zhe-bo'),  Father,  128. 
Gin,  the  cotton,  139-141. 

name  of  (note),  141. 

Goflfe,  Colonel,  at  Hadley,  64,  and  note,  222. 
Gold,  discovered  in  California,  190. 

tested  by  Sutler,  191,  192. 

carried  to  San  Francisco,  193. 

excitement  over,  193. 

effect  of  discovery  of,  194. 
Grant,  General,  214. 
Gray,  Captain,  voyage  to  the  Pacific,  186. 

carries  American  flag  around  the  world, 
187. 

names  the  Columbia  River,  187. 

helps  us  to  get  Oregon,  188,  189. 

summary  of,  189. 

Greene,  General  (Revolution),  109,  138,  168. 
Greene,  Mrs.  General,  138,  139. 

Hadley,  Indian  attack  on,  64. 

Goffe  at,  64,  and  note,  222. 
Hamilton,  Colonel,  126,  129. 
Hanks,  John,  and  Lincoln,  204,  209,  210. 
Harrison,  General,  birthplace. of  (note),  159. 

governor  of  Indiana  Territory,  159. 

marches  against  the  Indians,  159. 

gains  victory  of  Tippecanoe,  160. 

beats  the  British,  161. 

elected  President,  163. 

death  of,  163. 

summary  of,  163." 
Hawaii  (Hah-wy'ee)  annexed,  196. 
Henry,  Patrick,  speech  of,  145. 

sends  Clark  to  take  British  forts,  127. 
Henry  VII.,  sends  Cabot  on  voyage,  13. 

claims  part  of  North  America,  14. 
Holland,  gives  Pilgrims  a  refuge,  39-40. 

takes   possession   of  the   country  on  the 

Hudson,  37. 

Houston    (Hew'ston),     Sam,    birthplace     of 
(note),  182. 

in  war  with  Indians,  182. 

governor  of  Tennessee,  183. 

goes  to  live  with  the  Indians,  183. 

goes  to  Texas,  183. 

fights  for  Texas,  184. 

is  made  president  of  Texas,  184. 

in  the  Civil  War,  185. 

death  of,  185. 


INDEX. 


Vll 


Houston,  summary  of,  185. 

Howe,  General,  driven  from  Boston,  105. 

Hudson,  Henry,  first  voyage  of,  32. 

hired  by  the  Dutch,  33. 

sails  for  America,  33. 

discovers  the  "  Great  River,"  34. 

what  he  said  about  the  country,  34. 

voyage  up  the  river,  35. 

is  feasted  by  the  Indians,  36. 

what  the  Indians  thought  of  him,  36. 

has  fight  with  Indians,  37. 

sails  for  Europe,  37. 

Hudson  River  is  named  for  him,  37. 

death  of,  in  Hudson  Bay,  37. 

what  he  would  think  of  New  York  now, 
38. 

summary  of,  39. 
Hudson  River  described,  34,  35. 

named,  37. 

Dutch  settle  on  the,  37. 

Illinois,  Clark's  conquest  of,  126. 
Independence,  see  Declaration  of  Independ 
ence. 
Indians,  Columbus  names  the,  9. 

described,  9. 

welcome  the  English,  20. 

of  Virginia,  25. 

how  they  lived,  25,  26. 

and  Captain  Smith,  26,  27. 

feast  Henry  Hudson,  35,  36. 

make  treaty  with  Pilgrims,  44. 

help  the  Pilgrims,  45. 

challenge  Pilgrims  to  fight,  45. 

Standish's  fight  with  the,  46-48. 

help  the  settlers  of  Maryland,  53. 

Roger  Williams  defends  rights  of,  56. 

how  they  helped  Williams,  58,  59. 

great  war  with,  in  N.  E.,  62. 

Penn  defends  rights  of,  to  land,  70. 

make  treaty  with  Penn,  71. 

friendly  to  the  Quakers,  72. 

war  dance  of,  96. 

and  Daniel  Boone,  117-121. 

their  tricks  and  stratagems,  118. 

capture  Boone's  daughter,  119. 

capture  Boone  and  adopt  him,  120. 

in  the  Revolution,  126,  131. 

war  in  Ohio,  136. 

what  they  called  the  steamboat,  155. 

forced  to  move  West,  157,  174. 

story  of  the  log,  "  move  on,"  157-158. 

victory  of  Harrison  over,  159. 

victory  of  Jackson  over,  170,  182. 

Sam    Houston    goes    to    live    with    the 
183. 


Indians,  move  west  of  the  Mississippi,  174. 
See  Canonchet,  Canonicus,  Black  Hawk, 
King  Philip,  Massasoit,  Pocahontas, 
Powhatan,    Samoset,    Squanto,    Te- 
cumseh,     "  The      Prophet,"     Wam- 
sutta,  Weathersford. 
Indian  treaty  with  Pilgrims,  44. 

with  Penn,  71. 

Indian  wars,  King  Philip's  War,  62. 
in  Kentucky,  117. 
at  the  West,  in  the  Revolution,  126. 
in  Ohio,  135,  136. 
in  Illinois,  206. 
in  Indiana,  159. 
in  Alabama,  170. 
in  Florida,  172. 
Black  Hawk  War,  206. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  birth  and  boyhood  of,  163. 

and  the  gun,  164. 

and  Tarleton,  1^5. 

his  mother,  165. 

his  hatred  of  the  British,  165. 

dangers  exposed  to,  166. 

taken  prisoner,  167. 

and  the  boots,  168. 

sees  a  battle  through  a  knot-hole,  168. 

death  of  his  mother,  169. 

what  he  said  of  her,  169. 

begins  to  learn  a  trade,  169. 

studies  law,  169. 

goes  to  Tennessee,  169. 

becomes  judge,  169. 

becomes  general,  169. 

fights  the  Indians,  170. 

interview  with  Weathersford,  170,  171. 

wins   the   great  battle   of  New  Orleans, 
171,  172. 

conquers  Indians  in  Florida,  172. 

elected  President,  172. 

four  steps  in  life  of,  173. 

summary  of,  174. 
James  I.,  Jamestown  named  for,  24. 

denies  religious   liberty    to   his   subjects, 

40,  48. 
Jamestown  settled,  24. 

burned,  30. 
Jasper,   Sergeant,    how    he   saved    the    flag, 

109. 
Jefferson,  Thomas,  birth  of,  143. 

home  at  Monticello,  144. 

beloved  by  his  slaves,  144. 

desires  to  free,  145. 

hears  Patrick  Henry  speak,  145. 

writes  Declaration  of  Independence,  146. 

elected  President,  146. 


Vlll 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Jefferson,  Thomas,  what  he  said  about  New 
Orleans  and  Louisiana,  146,  147. 

buys  Louisiana,  147. 

his  death,  149. 

inscription  on  his  tombstone,  149. 

summary  of,  149. 
"Jonathan,  Brother,"  196. 

origin  of  mme  (note),  196. 
Jury  trial,  first  in  America,  24. 
Jury  (note),  24. 

Kaskaskia  (Kas-kas'ki-a)  Fort,  126,  128. 
King  Philip,  son  of  M assasoit,  60. 

becomes  chief,  60. 

how  he  dressed  and  lived,  60. 

his  hatred  of  the  whites,  61. 

determines  to  make  war,  61. 

Indians  attack  Swansea,  62. 

attack  other  towns,  63. 

burn  Brookfield,  63. 

attack  Hadley,  64. 

bravery  shown  by  a  w6"man,  64. 

the  great  swamp  fight,  65. 

Canonchet  taken,  66. 

Philip's  wife  and  son  taken,  66. 

wife  and  son  sold  into  slavery,  66. 

Philip  shot,  67. 

destruction  caused  by  the  war,  67. 

cost  of  the  war,  67. 

Indian  power  broken,  67. 

summary  of,  67. 

Lafayette  (Lah-fay-et1),  helps  us  in  the  Revo 
lution,  no. 

pursues  Cornwallis,  no. 

at  the  tomb  of  Washington,  115. 
Land  acquired  by  the  United  States,  see  Ter 
ritory  and  United  States. 
Lee,  General,  in  the  Civil  War,  214. 
Legislature  (note),  209. 
Lexington,  battle  of,  102. 
Leyden  (Li'den),  Holland,  39. 
Leyden  jar,  87,  89. 
Liberty,  religious,  in  Maryland,  52-55. 

religious,  in  Rhode  Island,  59. 

religious,  none  formerly  in  England,  40, 50, 

69. 

Liberty,  Sons  of,  in  the  Revolution,  38. 
Liberty,  statue  of,  38. 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  birth  and  boyhood  of,  198. 

how  he  lived,  198,  199. 

death  of  his  mother,  200. 

what  he  said  of  her,  200. 

what  his  step-mother  said  of  him,  200. 

at  school,  200. 

teaches  himself  at  home,  201. 

what  he  read,  201. 


Lincoln,   Abraham,   how  he  used    the    fire- 
shovel,  201. 

description  of,  at  seventeen,  202. 

his  strength,  202. 

goes  to  New  Orleans,  202. 

moves  to  Illinois,  203. 

splits  rails,  204. 

hunting  frolics,  204. 

tends  store  at  New  Salem,  205. 

is  attacked  by  Jack  Armstrong,  205. 

his  faithfulness  in  little  things,  205. 

called  "  Honest  Abe,"  198,  206. 

in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  206. 

becomes  postmaster  and  surveyor,  206 

studies  law,  207. 

begins  to  practise  law,  207. 

respected  by  all  men,  207. 

in  Armstrong  murder  trial,  207. 

how  he  saved  the  pig,  208. 

goes  to  the  Legislature,  209. 

goes  to  Congress,  197,  209. 

chosen  candidate  for  President,  210. 

elected  President,  210. 

his  election  brings  on  the  Civil  War,  211, 
214. 

emancipates  the  slaves,  214. 

murdered  by  Booth,  215. 

grief  of  the  nation  at  his  death,  216. 

summary  of,  216. 
Louisiana,  purchase  of,  147. 

original  extent  of,  148. 

Major  (note),  97. 
Manhattan  Island,  34,  38,  39. 
Marietta,  Ohio,  settled,  134. 

name  of,  134. 

what  Washington  said  of,  134. 

and  the  Indians,  135. 

summary  of,  136. 
Marshall  finds  gold  in  California,  190. 

his  poverty,  194. 
Maryland,  name  of,  51. 

granted  to  Lord  Baltimore,  51. 

rent  of,  51. 

settlement  of,  53. 

first    Catholic    church    in    America    in, 

53- 

home  of  religious  liberty,  53. 
trouble  with  Virginia,  54. 
Catholics  of,  badly  treated,  54. 
Baltimore  city  founded,  54. 
in  the  Revolution,  54. 
summary  of,  54. 
Massachusetts,  name  of,  49. 
settlement  of,  49. 
in  the  Revolution,  49. 


INDEX. 


IX 


Massasoit  (Mas-sa-soit1),  makes  treaty  with 
the  Pilgrims,  44. 

kindness  of,  to  Roger  Williams,  56-58. 

King  Philip,  his  son,  60. 
Mayflower,  voyage  of  the,  41-43,  49. 

Ohio  boat  so  named,  133. 
Messages  (note),  176. 
Mexico,  war  with,  192. 

territory  obtained  from,  193. 
Miami  (Mi-am 'i),  Ohio,  135. 
Mississippi,  De  Soto  discovers  the,  18. 

belonged  to  France,  146. 

we  get  possession  of  the,  149. 

first  steamboat  on  the,  155,  156. 
Moccasins  (note),  105. 
Model  (note),  179. 
Monticello,  described,  144. 
Morgan's  sharpshooters,  109. 
Morse,  Samuel  F.  B.,  birth  and  boyhood  of, 
175- 

becomes  a  painter,  176. 

goes  to  France,  176. 

thinks  of  using  electricity  to  send  mes 
sages,  176. 

returns  to  America,  176. 

invents  electric  telegraph,  177,  178. 

his  poverty,  178. 

takes  the    first   photograph    in   America, 
178. 

gets  assistance  from  Mr.  Vail,  178,  179. 

obtains  patent  for  the  telegraph,  179. 

receives  help  from  Congress,  179. 

and  Miss  Annie  Ellsworth,  180. 

builds  line  of  telegraph,  180. 

the  first  message  sent,  181. 

how  a  message  is  sent  (note),  181. 

the  first  year  of  telegraphy,  181. 

summary  of,  182. 
Moultrie,  Colonel,  109. 

Fort,  109. 

Mount  Vernon,  Washington  at,  94,  104,  114, 
115. 

Nation  (note),  172. 
Negroes,  see  Slaves. 
New  Amsterdam,  38. 
New  England,  name  of,  29. 

first  settlements  in,  43,  49. 
New  Netherland,  name  of,  37. 

seized  by  the  English,  38. 
New  Orleans,  owned  by  the  French,  146. 

purchase  of,  147,  148. 

battle  of,  171. 

cotton  exported  from,  143. 
New  Salem,  Illinois,  205. 
Newspaper,  Franklin's,  80,  86. 


New  York,  name  of,  38. 
New  York  City,  name,  38. 

in  the  Revolution,  38,  106,  113. 
North  and  South  in  the  Civil  War,  211-215. 
Northmen  discover  America  (note),  14. 

Oglethorpe    (O'gel-thorp),   General,  who  he 
was,  75. 

and  prisoners  for  debt,  76. 

gets  grant  of  Georgia,  75,  76. 

object  of  settling  Georgia,  76. 

builds  Savannah,  76. 

welcomes  German  settlers,  77,  78. 

attempts  to  produce  silk,  78. 

sends   silk   as   present   to    the   queen    of 
England,  78. 

keeps  out  the  Spaniards,  78. 

in  his  old  age,  79. 

summary  of,  79. 
Ohio,  first  settlement  in,  134. 

Indian  wars  in,  135,  136. 
Ohio  River,  first  steamboat  on,  155. 
Oregon,  how  we  got  our  claim  to,  188. 

added  to  the  United  States,  189,  195. 

Pacific,  Balboa  discovers  the,  18. 

Pacific  Railroad  completed  (note),  217. 

Pacific  railroads,  the  three,  218. 

Palisade,  46. 

Palisades  of  the  Hudson  (note),  35. 

Palmetto  logs  (note),  109. 

Palos,  convent  at,  4. 

Columbus  sails  from,  5. 

reception  at,  10. 

Parker,  Captain,  at  Lexington,  102. 
Patent  (note),  179. 

Penn,   William,    receives  grant    of    Pennsyl 
vania,  68. 

belongs    to    the    Society   of    Friends    or 
Quakers,  69. 

his  religion,  69. 

sends  emigrants  to  Pennsylvania,  69. 

his  conversation  with  Charles  II.,  70. 

founds  Philadelphia,  70. 

his  treaty  with  the  Indians,  71. 

visits  the  Indians,  71. 

his   treaty  elm    protected    by   a    British 
officer,  71. 

said  the  people  should  make  their  own 
laws,  72. 

goes  back  to  England,  73. 

the  victim  of  a  dishonest  agent,  73. 

goes  to  prison  for  debt,  73. 

death  of,  73. 

love  of  the  Indians  for  him,  73. 

Indians  send  a  present  to  his  widow,  73. 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Penn,  William,  grave  of,  74. 

summary  of,  74. 
Pennsylvania,  named  by  Charles  II.,  68. 

granted  to  William  Penn,  68. 

natural  wealth  of,  68. 

in  the  Revolution,  72,  73. 
Philadelphia,  founded,  70. 

name  of,  70. 

prosperity  of,  72,  80. 

what  Franklin  did  for,  87. 

in  the  Revolution,  72,  73. 

first  Continental  Congress  meets  in,  72, 73. 

Declaration  of  Independence  made  in,  73. 
Philip,  King,  see  King  Philip. 
Photograph,  first,  in  America,  178. 
Pilgrims,  the,  in  Holland,  39. 

name  of,  39. 

persecuted  in  England,  39-40. 

why  they  wished  to  leave  Holland,  40. 

sail  for  America,  41. 

Captain  Myles  Standish  goes  with  them, 

number  of  the,  41. 

make  a  compact  of  government,  41. 

elect  John  Carver  first  governor,  41. 

land  on  the  Cape,  42. 

washing-day,  42. 

explore  the  Cape,  42. 

land  on  Plymouth  Rock,  42. 

settle  in  Plymouth,  43. 

why  they  chose  that  place,  42,  43. 

name  of,  43. 

sickness  and  death,  43. 

meet  Indians,  43. 

make  treaty  with  Massasoit,  44. 

their  first  Thanksgiving,  44. 

Canonicus  dares  them  to  fight,  45. 

Governor  Bradford's  reply,  46. 

build  a  fort,  46. 

build  a  palisade,  46. 

fight  the  Indians  at  Weymouth,  47. 

what  Myles  Standish  did  for  the  Pilgrims, 
47,  48. 

summary  of,  49. 

See  Myles  Standish. 
Pioneers  (note),  184. 
Pittsburg,  127,  134,  155,  and  see  map,  94. 
Plantation  (note),  91. 
Planter  (note),  30. 
Plymouth,  the  Pilgrims  settle,  43. 

natural  advantages  of,  42,  43. 

name  of,  43. 

See  Pilgrims. 

Plymouth  Rock,  Pilgrims  land  on,  42. 
Pocahontas     (Po-ka-hon'tas)     saves    Smith's 
life,  27,  and  see  note,  222. 


Pocahontas,  marries  Rolfe,  27. 

her  descendants,  27. 
Ponce  de  Leon,  see  De  Leon. 
Potato,  the,  sent  to  England,  21. 

Raleigh  plants  it  in  Ireland,  21. 
Powder,  lack  of,  in  Revolution,  105. 

sent  from  Savannah  to  Bunker  Hill,  79. 
Powhatan   (Pow-ha-tan1)   and  Captain  John 

Smith,  27. 

Prison-ships,  British,  169. 
"  Prophet,"  the,  and  Tecumseh,  159,  161. 

at  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  159. 

his  sacred  beans,  160. 

Indians  say  he  is  a  liar,  160. 

Tecumseh  takes  him  by  the  hair,  161. 
Prophet  (note),  158. 
Providence,  name  of,  59. 

settled,  59. 

religious  liberty  in,  59. 
Puritans  (note),  40. 

settle  Boston,  48. 

Putnam,  General  Rufus,  services  in  the  Rev 
olution,  132. 

builds  fortifications  at  DorchesterHeights, 

i32»  T33- 

builds  the  Mayflower,  133. 
settles  Marietta,  Ohio,  134. 
summary  of,  136. 

Quakers,  see  Friends. 

Railroad,  the  first,  in  America,  173,  and  note, 
174. 

growth  of  railroads,  174. 

first  Pacific  (note),  217, 

the  three  Pacific  railroads,  218. 
Raleigh  (Raw'li),  Sir  Walter,  a  favorite   of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  20. 

sends  exploring  expedition  to  America,  20. 

receives  title  of  honor,  20. 

sends  settlers  to  Virginia,  21. 

receives  tobacco  and  potato  plants  from 
Virginia,  21. 

plants  them  in  Ireland,  21. 

spends  a  great  deal  of  money  on  his  Vir 
ginia  colony,  21. 

fails  to  establish  a  settlement,  21. 

last  days  of,  21. 

is  beheaded,  22. 

power  of  his  example,  22. 

summary  of,  22. 
Ranches  (note),  218. 
Rebels  (note),  167. 
Red-coats  (note),  165. 
Religious  liberty,  none  in  England,  40. 

in  Maryland,  53. 


INDEX. 


XI 


Religious  liberty,  in  Rhode  Island,  59. 
Religious  persecution  in  England,  40,  50,  69. 

of  Catholics,  50,  54. 

of  Pilgrims,  40. 

of  Puritans,  48. 

of  Quakers,  69. 

Revere's  (Re-veer'),  Paul,  ride,  102. 
Revolution,  the,  cause  of,  100. 

first  blood  shed  in,  102. 

progress  of,  100-113. 

Declaration  of  Independence,  106. 

battles  of,  see  Battles. 

end  of,  113,  1 15. 

See  Washington. 
Revolution,  the,  in  Delaware,  73. 

Georgia,  79. 

Maryland,  54. 

Massachusetts,  49,  102-106,  132. 

New  England,  49. 

New  Jersey,  73,  107,  108. 

New  York,  38,  106,  108,  113. 

North  Carolina,  79,  no,  122,  164-169. 

Pennsylvania,  73,  108. 

Rhode  Island,  59. 

South  Carolina,  79,  109,  no,  164-169. 

Virginia,  31,  110-112,  145,146. 

in  the  West,  126-131. 
Rhode  Island  settled,  59. 

religious  liberty  in,  59. 

in  the  Revolution,  59. 
Robertson,  James,  birthplace  of  (note),  123. 

his  home  in  North  Carolina,  123. 

emigrates  to  Watauga,  Tennessee,  124. 

and  Sevier,  125. 

what  he  did  for  the  new  settlement,  125. 

Washington  makes  him  general,  125. 

summary  of,  125. 

Sacramento,  Sutler's  Fort  at,  190. 

Sacred  (note),  160. 

Salem,  Roger  Williams'  church  at,  55. 

Samoset  (Sam'o-set)  and  the  Pilgrims,  44. 

San  Salvador  (Sal'va-dor),  Columbus  names, 

9- 

Saratoga,  battle  of,  108. 
Savannah  settled,  76. 

in  the  Revolution,  78,  79. 
Seal,  great,  of  United  States,  220  and  note. 
Seekonk,  Roger  Williams  at,  58. 
Senate  Chamber  (note),  180. 
Sergeant  (Sar'jent)  (note),  109. 
Sevier    (Se-veer'),   John,    born    in    Virginia 
(note),  122,  124. 

emigrates  to  Wataugn,  Tennessee,  124. 

and  Robertson,  125. 

what  he  did  for  Watauga,  125. 


Sevier,  John,  becomes  first  governor  of  Ten 
nessee,  125. 

summary  of,  125. 

Sharpshooters  in  the  Revolution,  105,  109. 
Silk,  attempt  to  produce,  in  Georgia,  78. 

sent  to  England,  78. 

the  Queen  has  a  dress  made  of  it,  78. 
Silkworm  (note),  78. 
Slaves,  negro,  first  brought  to  Virginia,  30. 

employed  in  raising  tobacco,  30. 

planters  grow  rich  by,  30. 

all  the  colonies  buy,  30,  211. 

Washington's,  104. 

Jefferson  beloved  by  his,  143-145. 

Jefferson's  feeling  in  regard  to,  145. 

how  employed  on  cotton,  139. 

and  the  cotton-gin,  140,  141. 

gradually  freed  at  the  North,  211. 

their  condition  unchanged  at  the  South, 

21  I. 

feeling  at  the  South  about,  211-214. 
feeling  at  the  North  about,  212-214. 
question  of  holding,  divides  the  states, 

211-214. 
Lincoln  in   regard  to  increasing  number 

of,  213,  214. 

and  the  Civil  War,  211-214. 
freed  by  President  Lincoln,  214. 
effect  of  emancipation  of,  on  the  Union, 

215- 

Smith,  John,  early  life  and  adventures  of,  23. 
sold  as  a  slave,  23. 
starts  for  Virginia,  23. 
arrested  on  the  voyage  on  a  false  charge, 

23. 

is  tried  and  acquitted,  24. 
court  grants  him  damages,  24. 
what  he  hoped  to  do  in  Virginia,  24. 
what  he  did  for  the  sick,  25. 
prevents  desertion,  25. 
goes  in  search  of  the  Pacific,  26. 
is  captured  by  Indians,  26. 
how  he  used  his  pocket  compass,  26. 
brought  before  Powhatan,  26. 
Pocahontas  saves  his  life,  27  and  (note) 

222. 

made  governor  of  Jamestown,  27. 
his  opinion  of  the  gold-diggers,  28. 
compels  Indians  to  let  settlers  have  corn, 

28. 

makes  all  the  settlers  work,  28. 
his  cold-water  cure  for  swearing,  28,  29. 
meets  with  a  terrible  accident,  29. 
goes  back  to  England,  29. 
returns   and   explores    country   north   of 

Virginia,  29. 


Xll 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Smith,  John,  names  it  New  England,  29. 

death  and  burial  of,  29. 

what  he  did  for  Virginia,  29. 

his  books  and  maps,  30. 

is  called  the  "  Father  of  Virginia,"  30. 

writes  Captain  Henry  Hudson,  33. 

summary  of,  32. 
South,  the,  in  the  Civil  War,  214,  215. 

great  progress  of,  since  the  war,  217,  218. 
Spain,  the  war  with,  220. 
Spaniards  settle  Florida,  19. 

are  kept  out  of  Georgia,  78. 
Squanto  (Skwon'to),  and  the  Pilgrims,  44,  45. 
Squaws  (note),  120. 

Standish,  Myles,  an  English  soldier  in  Hol 
land,  41. 

goes  to  America  with  the  Pilgrims,  41. 

explores  Cape  Cod,  42. 

lands  at  Plymouth  Rock,  42. 

was  nurse  as  well  as  soldier,  43. 

goes  to  meet  Massasoit,  44. 

feared  by  the  Indians,  46. 

escorts  the  Pilgrims  to  church,  46. 

has  a  fight  with  the  Indians,  47. 

saves  Plymouth  from  attack  by  Indians, 
48. 

what  else  he  did  for  the  Pilgrims,  48. 

what  he  left  at  his  death,  48. 

his  monument,  48. 

summary  of,  49. 
Steamboat,  Fulton's,  on  the  Hudson,  154 

first  at  the  West,  155,  156. 

effect  of,  on  emigration,  156. 
St.  Mary's,  settlement  at,  53. 
Survey  (note),  95. 

Sutler  (Soo'ter),  John  A.,  his  fort  in  Califor 
nia,  189. 

founds  Sacramento,  189. 

lives  like  a  king,  190. 

begins  to  build  saw-mill  at  Colona,  190. 

Marshall  brings  him  gold-dust  to  test,  191. 

is  convinced  that  gold  has  been  found,  192. 

how  he  felt  at  the  discovery,  192. 

loses  his  property,  194. 

is  pensioned  by  California,  194. 

summary  of,  197. 

Swansea  (Swon'ze)  attacked  by  Indians,  62. 
Swordfish  (note),  152. 

Tarleton  (Tarl'ton),  cruelty  of,  165. 

called  "  Butcher  Tarleton,"  165. 

his  soldiers  and  the  bees,  165. 

is  beaten  at  Cowpens,  167. 

what  he  hears  from  the  children,  166,  167. 
Taxation  of  America  by  George  III.,  100. 

chief  cause  of  the  Revolution,  100. 


Tea,  taxed,  sent  to  America,  100. 

destruction  of,  100. 

"  Boston  Tea  Party,"  100,  101. 
Tecumseh  (Te-kum'seh)  excites  the  Indians 
to  war,  158,  169. 

takes  the  "  Prophet"  by  the  hair,  161. 

fights  for  the  British  in  Canada,  161. 

is  killed,  161. 
Telegraph,  meaning  of  the  word  (note),  176. 

what  it  is,  176,  177. 

electric,  invented  by  Morse,  177,  178. 

Vail's  work  on,  178,  179. 

patented  by  Morse,  179. 

Congress  grants  money  to  build  line,  180. 

first  message  over,  181. 

business  of,  in  1845,  *8i. 

business  of,  to-day,  181. 

how  messages  are  sent  by  (note),  181. 

Atlantic,  181. 

See  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse. 
Telephone,  meaning  of  the  word  (note),  180. 

what  it  is,  180. 

when  invented  (note),  180. 

use  of,  to-day,  182. 
Tennessee,  first  settlement  of,  124,  125. 

See  James  Robertson  and  John  Sevier. 
Terrier  (note),  161. 
Territory  added  to  the  United  States  since  the 

Revolution,  195;  and  see  United  States. 
Tests  (note),  192. 
Texas,  forms  part  of  Mexico,  183. 

we  try  to  buy  it,  183. 

Houston  goes  to,  183. 

massacre   of  Americans  at   Fort  Alamo, 
184. 

war  of  independence,  184. 

flag  of,  184. 

annexed, 184. 

dispute  with  Mexico  about  boundary,  192. 

Mexican  war  and,  192,  193. 

and  the  Civil  War,  185. 

summary  of,  185. 
Tippecanoe,  battle  of,  159. 
Tobacco    sent    from   Virginia   to   Sir  Walter 
Raleigh,  21. 

he  plants  it  in  Ireland,  21. 

value  of,  to  Virginia,  30. 
Torpedo  (note),  153. 

Fulton's  experiments  with  torpedoes,  153. 
Tow  cloth  (note),  205. 
Travis  (Tra  vis),  Colonel,  in  Texas,  184. 
Treaty,  Indian,  with  Pilgrims,  44. 

with  William  Penn,  71. 

(note),  70. 
Tryon,  Governor,  in  North  Carolina,  123. 

oppression  by,  123. 


INDEX. 


Xlll 


Tryon,  Governor,  called  the  "  Great  Wolf  of 

North  Carolina,"  123. 
at  battle  of  Alamance,  123. 

Union  (note),  211. 

the  South  resolves  to  withdraw  from  the, 

211,  214. 
strengthened  by  result  of  the  Civil  War, 

215- 

United  States,  independence  of,  declared,  146. 
War  of  the  Revolution,  see  Revolution, 
more  perfect  Union  formed  (note),  211. 
extent  of,  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution, 

147. 

acquires  Louisiana  (1803),  148. 
acquires  Florida  (1819),  172,  173. 
acquires  Texas  (1845),  I84,  185. 
acquires  Oregon  (1846),  188,  189. 
acquires    California    and     New     Mexico 

(1848),  193. 
acquires  Gadsaen   Purchase  (1853),  195, 

196. 

acquires  Alaska  (1867),  196. 
extent  of,  to-day,  196. 
War  of  1812,  161,  171. 
War  of,  with  Mexico,  192. 
the  Civil  War,  211. 
growth  since  the  War,  217-220. 
and  "World's   Columbian    Exposition," 

220. 

great  seal  of,  220. 
what  we  can  do  for,  220. 

Vail,  Alfred,  and  Morse's  telegraph,  179. 
Venison  (note),  20. 

Vespucci,  Amerigo   (A-ma-ree'go  Ves-poot'- 
chee),  16. 

and  name  America,  17. 
Vigo  (Vee'go)  helps  Clark,  128,  129. 
Vincennes  (Vin-senz'),  Fort,  126-131. 
Virginia,  Raleigh's  expedition  to,  20. 

named  by  Elizabeth,  20. 

first  settlement  in,  21. 

first  English  child  in  America  born  in,  21. 

failure  of  first  settlement,  21. 

tobacco  and  potato  sent  from,  21. 

permanently  settled  at  Jamestown,  24. 

first  English  church  in,  24. 

first  jury  trial  in,  24. 

Captain  Smith  made  governor  of,  27. 

books  about,  30. 

slaves  sent  to,  30. 

tobacco,  cultivation  of,  30. 

prosperity  of,  30. 

Berkeley  and  Bacon's  war  in,  30. 

Jamestown  burned,  31. 


Virginia,  growth  of,  31. 

makes  ready  to  fight  for  its  rights,  145. 
first  demands  independence  of  America, 

3»- 

in  the  Revolution,  see  Revolution. 

owns  extensive  western  possessions,  127. 

George  Washington  and,  31. 

the  "  Mother  of  Presidents,"  31. 

summary  of,  32. 

in  the  Civil  War,  215. 
Virginia  Dare,  birth  of,  21. 
Voted  (note),  180. 

Wamsutta,  death  of,  60. 
War,  Bacon's,  in  Virginia,  30. 

King  Philip's,  in  New  England,  61-67. 

of  the  Revolution,  see  Revolution. 

with  the  British  in  the  West,  126-131. 

with  Indians  in  the  West,  126. 

with  Indians  in  Ohio,  136. 

with  Indians  in  Indiana,  159,  160. 

with  Indians  in  Illinois,  206. 

the  Black  Hawk,  206. 

with  Indians  in  Alabama,  169. 

with  Indians  in  Florida,  172. 

of  1812  (note),  141,  142,  161,  171. 

cause  of,  of  1812,  161. 

of  Texan  independence,  183. 

with  Mexico,  192. 

cause  of  Mexican,  192. 

the  Civil,  211-215. 

cause  of  the  Civil,  211-214. 
War  with  Spain,  220. 

Washington,  George,   birth  and  boyhood  of, 
91-94. 

at  school,  92. 

playing  at  war,  93. 

battle  with  the  colt,  93. 

what  he  owed  to  his  mother,  92. 

visits  Mount  Vernon,  94. 

makes  acquaintance  of  Lord  Fairfax,  94. 

surveys  Lord  Fairfax's  land,  95,  96. 

life  in  the  woods,  95,  96. 

sees  an  Indian  war-dance,  96. 

is  made  public  surveyor,  96. 

appearance  of,  at  twenty-one,  96. 

receives  title  of  major,  97. 

governor  of  Virginia  sends  him  to  order 
off  the  French,  97. 

journey  through  the  wilderness,  97,  98. 

narrow  escape  of,  98. 

receives  title  of  colonel,  98. 

goes  with  Braddock's  expedition,  99. 

tries  to  hold  Fort  Necessity,  gq. 

goes  to  Mount  Vernon  to  live,  104. 

his  slaves,  104. 


XIV 


THE    BEGINNER  S    AMERICAN    HISTORY. 


Washington,    George,    made    commander-in- 
chief  in  the  Revolution,  104. 

takes  command  of  army,  104. 

raises  first  American  flag,  104  and  (note) 
in. 

drives  British  from  Boston,  105,  132. 

goes  to  New  York,  106. 

chased  by  Cornwallis,  106. 

retreats  across  the  Delaware,  106. 

victory  of  Trenton,  107. 

victory  of  Princeton,  108. 

at  Valley  Forge,  108. 

enters  Philadelphia,  108. 

marches  against  Yorktown,  no. 

takes  Yorktown,  in,  112. 

his  coat-of-arms  (note),  in. 

goes  back  to  Mount  Vernon,  114. 

elected  President,  114. 

takes  oath  of  office,  114. 

Lafayette  visits  his  tomb,  115. 

summary  of,  115. 
Washington,  Lawrence,  at  Mount  Vernon,  94. 

death  of,  104. 

Colonel  William,  167  and  note. 
Washington,  the  Capitol  at,  burned,  161. 

rebuilt,  161,  162. 

Watauga  (Wa-taw'ga),  settlement  of,  124. 
Wayne,  General,  in  Ohio,  136. 
Weathersford  and  General  Jackson,  171. 
West,  the,  in  the  Revolution,  126. 

conquest  of,  126-131. 

at  treaty  of  peace  with  England,  131. 

settlement  of,  119,  124,  133. 

acquisition  of  country  west  of  the  Missis 
sippi,  see  United  States. 

effects  of  steamboat  navigation  on,  156, 

*57- 

effects  of  railroads  on,  173,  174. 
rapid  growth  of,  218,  219. 
See    Boone,    Clark,     Robertson,    Sevier, 
Jefferson,  Houston,  Gray,  Sutler. 


Weymouth,  Standish  fights  Indians  at,  47. 
What  Cheer  Rock,  Providence,  59. 
White,  Father,  in  Maryland,  53,  54. 
Whitney,  Eli,  birth  and  boyhood  of,  137. 

cuts  his  name  on  a  door,  137. 

makes  a  fiddle,  137. 

makes  nails,  138. 

goes  to  Yale  College,  138. 

his  skill  with  tools,  138. 

goes  to  Georgia,  138. 

stops  with  Mrs.  General  Greene,  138. 

makes  her  an  embroidery  frame,  139. 

has  a  talk  about  cotton  and  cotton-seeds, 

139- 

invents  the  cotton-gin,  140,  141. 

effect  of  his  invention,  141,  143. 

builds  a  gun-factory,  141. 

makes  muskets  for  WTar  of  1812,  142. 

summary  of,  142. 
Wilderness,  the  Great,  126. 
"  Wilderness  Road,"  Boone  makes  the,  118. 
Williams,  Roger,  comes  to  Boston,  55. 

preaches  in  Salem  and  Plymouth,  56. 

is  very  friendly  to  the  Indians,  56. 

declares  that  they  own  the  land,  56. 

Boston  authorities  attempt  to  arrest,  56. 

escapes  and  goes  to  Massasoit,  57. 

his  journey  through  the  wilderness,  57. 

reception  by  Massasoit,  58. 

builds  a  cabin  at  Seekonk,  58. 

leaves  Seekonk,  58. 

greeted  by  the  Indians,  58. 

Canonicus  lets  him  have  land,  59. 

settles  Providence,  59. 

grants  religious  liberty  to  all  settlers,  59. 

summary  of,  59. 
Winthrop,    Governor    John,    settles     Boston. 

48. 

Wool-comber  (note),  i. 

World,  knowledge  of,  before  Columbus  dis 
covered  America,  3. 


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